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Renewable Bioenergy
The Definition of Bioenergy
A Growing Form of Renewable Energy Sources
By Jeffrey Orloff
Bioenergy is renewable energy created from natural, biological
sources.
Many natural sources, such as plants, animals, and their
byproducts, can be valuable resources.
Modern technology even makes landfills or waste zones potential
bioenergy resources. It can be used to be a sustainable power source, providing heat, gas, and fuel.
Because the energy contained in sources like plants is obtained
from the sun through photosynthesis, it can be replenished and is considered an
inexhaustible source.
Using bioenergy has the potential to decrease our carbon
footprint and improve the environment.
While bioenergy uses the same amount of carbon dioxide as
traditional fossil fuels, the impact can be minimized as long as the plants
used are replaced.
Fast-growing trees and grass help this process and are known as
bioenergy feedstocks.
Where Bioenergy Comes From
Most bioenergy comes from forests, agricultural farms, and waste.
The feedstocks are grown by farms specifically for their use as an energy
source.
Common crops include starch or sugar-based plants, like
sugarcane or corn.
How It Is Created
To turn raw sources into energy, there are three processes:
chemical, thermal, and biochemical.
Chemical processing uses chemical agents to break down the
natural source and convert it into liquid fuel. Corn ethanol, a fuel created
from corn, is an example of chemical processing results.
The thermal conversion uses heat to change the source into
energy through combustion or gasification.
A biochemical conversion uses bacteria or other organisms to
convert the source, such as through composting or fermentation.
Who Uses It
Bioenergy exists at several different levels.
Individuals can create bioenergy, such as by creating a compost
heap out of kitchen scraps and keeping worms to produce rich fertilizer.
At the other extreme are large energy corporations looking for
more sustainable energy sources than oil or coal.
These organizations use huge farms and facilities to provides
hundreds or thousands of customers with energy.
Why It Is Important
Having the ability to produce energy through plants or other
resources can lessen U.S. reliance on foreign nations for sources of energy.
Bioenergy also is viewed as essential for the environment.
Continued use of fossil fuels can cause significant
environmental issues by producing greenhouse gases that contribute to global
warming or by emitting harmful pollutants such as sulfur dioxide which can harm
the population's health.
As technology progresses, bioenergy has the potential to
dramatically reduce greenhouse emissions, the release of harmful gases
associated with global warming and climate change.
The use of forests and farms in bioenergy can help combat the
harmful release of carbon dioxide and help achieve a balance.
At this time, bioenergy is not ready to replace fossil fuels.
The process is too costly and uses too many resources to be practical in most
areas.
The large plots of land and significant amounts of water needed
to be successful can be difficult for many states or countries.
Additionally, agricultural resources such as land and water
dedicated to producing crops related to bioenergy can limit the resources used
for producing food.
Still, as science continues to study this area, bioenergy could
increasingly become a larger source of energy that can help improve the
environment.
Jeffrey
Orloff
Finance
Expert
Introduction
Jeffrey
Orloff is an expert in household savings and transportation.
ThoughtCo
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