Biofuels are a rising fuel source for jets, cars, and trucks. Biomass is also used to create more environmentally friendly plastics like bottles that don’t take thousands of years to degrade. But, truly, how green is bioenergy? Let’s discuss some pros and cons of bioenergy.
Every form of energy, renewable or not, will cost money, so how much does biomass or bioenergy cost? For one, biomass is pretty accessible. Biomass is any natural plant mass and bioenergy is usually powered by animal waste. Plant mass is all around whether it be wood, agricultural residue, or plants that are specifically grown to be used as energy. Animal waste is used for the methane it emits. Methane is one of the 3 main ways to create bioenergy. Bacterial decay breaks down stored animal waste to create the methane. The methane is then used to heat water which creates steam that creates pressure which moves a rotor that powers a generator which makes electricity. Wood (a biomass) is used to create biodiesels which are usually cheaper than regular diesel by the barrel. These biodiesels also emit less carbon because the carbon emitted was already in the atmosphere to begin with. The use of wood is the 2nd way to create biofuels/bioenergy, turning natural material into gas/diesel. The 3rd way to create energy is burning biomass, but again the carbon was already in the atmosphere. Overall, biofuels are pretty cheap due to accessibility of materials and produce less carbon pollution.
Biomasses that are used to create renewable forms of plastic is where biomasses can shine. Normal plastics are extremely damaging to the environment because they are so widespread and take a very long time to decompose, almost 1,000 years in a landfill! Bioplastics however will not take even 1% of that, decomposing in about 3-6 months. Bioplastics can also always be recycled and used again and are able to be composted. Bioplastics are a much better choice in plastics for the environment which means they better for you. Bioplastics are far superior than normal plastics from a renewable and recyclable standpoint.
Burning biomasses can release microscopic airborne particulates which can damage your lungs and even your heart. This can cause premature death in people with heart or lung conditions. Prolonged exposure can damage even the healthiest of lungs over time. The burning of biomass also releases HAPs (hazardous air pollutants) like nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, lead, and mercury. Burning biomass is not a good investment when it comes to the potential for damage to the lungs of animals and people.
Bioenergy plants can take up a lot of space as farmland or even sustainably managed forests. This could mean natural forests being cut down to clear land for bioenergy plants. Bioenergy created from plants also requires a means to transport the organic material for processing and additional space to convert the biomass to bioenergy (like a processing plant).
Overall, bioenergy has some ways it is a great alternative to traditional non-renewable plastics and fuels, but in other areas it is not as good. The world likely needs a mix of renewable and non-renewable energies to gain the benefits from each energy type and to mitigate the negatives.
Related Stories:
https://www.nrel.gov/research/re-biomass
https://www.iea.org/energy-system/renewables/bioenergy
https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/bioenergy
https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/commodity/bioenergy
Take Action:
Learn about Bioplastics and Biopolymers:
https://www.natureworksllc.com/
Learn more about The DOE’s plan for Bioenergy:
https://www.genomicscience.energy.gov/bioenergy-research-centers/
