Nowadays, global warming is causing terrible damages from climate change such as powerful typhoons, hurricanes, tsunami, super flood to human lives. It has become a big issue since the changes have happened more frequently. Therefore, many scientists are struggling with finding some alternative sources of energy to fossil fuel which release a great amount of carbon dioxide that have affected global warming. Governments also struggle with finding some possible solutions to deal with climate change. They are encouraging and investing on researching new energy sources. Bioenergy and solar energy have been highly used as alternative energies. This essay will explore the advantages and disadvantages of bioenergy and solar energy. How governments encourage spreading renewable energy in the specific countries will be described.
Bioenergy is a renewable energy which is obtained by combusting the biomass. It is also called ‘biomass energy’. Biomass is one of alternative sources, which consists of different materials such as trees, construction wood, sewage sludge, manure, and farm waste including cornhusks, peanut shells, leaves and so on (Ischenko et al, 2007). Ischenko et al (2007) claim that biomass releases less carbon dioxide than fossil fuel. In the other words, it helps to slow down the pace of global warming. Another advantage of it is turning the great amount of waste such as potato peels, used cooking oil, pig intestines into useful energy. So it can reduce the costs of
Biomass also generates electricity and also provides heating which is direct can be renewed into biofuels as a substitute for the fossil fuels
However, despite its many advantages biomass still has many disadvantages. Firstly it is not as efficient as fossil fuels, for example the ethanol produced for cars via biomass is not even close to the efficiency of petrol and does damage to engines over time. It also has the potential to harm the environment through increase of methane gases which are produced as a bi-product if animal and human waste is used. Biomass also requires a large distance away from residential areas in order to burn it and a large amount of fuel in comparison to other energy sources which can have dramatic effects if large portions of forests are cut down to provide lumber.1
Biomass energy is a renewable energy source from living or recently living plant and animal materials which can be used as fuel. There are many ways in which we could produce this energy such as heat and steam. Also, instead of leaving waste in landfills, we’re reusing that waste and converting it into usable power. Pros: 1. Renewable. 2. Dependency on Fossil Fuels is Reduced 3. Protects air quality 4. Improves forest health. Cons: 1. Not 100% clean. 2. Requires a lot of water. 3. Not as efficient as fossil fuels.
Today, many people are talking about energy production and all the new and old ways to go about it. There are many different modes of energy production that is available or is becoming available to us in the future. The constant debate about what energy production is best for the environment and which is not. In my essay, I will be describing the advantages and disadvantages of coal, oil, and Solar energy.
Biofuels are biologically derived fuels obtained in a renewable way from organic waste. These organic remains usually come from sugar, wheat, corn or oilseeds. They all reduce the total volume of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere as they absorb it as they grow and emit virtually the same amount as conventional fuels when they burn, resulting in a closed cycle process. Biofuels are often mixed with other fuels in small proportions, 5 or 10%, providing a useful but limited reduction of greenhouse gases. In Europe and the United States, legislation has been in place requiring suppliers to mix biofuels to certain levels. This legislation has been copied by many other countries that believe that these fuels will help to improve the planet through the reduction of gases that produce the so-called 'Greenhouse Effect '.
Our world is finite. That means that there is only a limited amount of air, water, rock, plants and animal material. Earth is like a spaceship with only so many resources. There are no supply ships to drop in and give us a refill of resources. It make us (as global citizens) the caretakers or stewards aboard the spaceship. So, as global citizens we have to take care of our planet and make sure that it has enough resources for its own well being, the other biodiversity living on Earth and even humankind. We must preserve and wisely use what we have. Using renewable resources and energy is one way to do just that. Biofuels are a type of renewable resources. In this report I will be talking about, what are biofuels, what can they do, how biofuels are made, are they available around the world? Should biofuels be used to replace fossil fuels? Why or why not, how do biofuels impact the food supply in 3 rd World Countries, who uses biofuels? Also the cost, pros and cons and environmental benefits or concerns.
In today's modern industrial society vast amounts of energy are needed to make living more comfortable, productive and enjoyable. The increase in energy consumption not only caused a global spike in energy costs, but also negatively impacted our environment. Climate change, the threat of an unsecured energy supply and rising energy costs have emphasized the need for improved energy efficiency. Efficient energy use is essential as it enables financial savings, preserves fossil fuel resources, and reduces air pollution. Reducing energy consumption and lowering Greenhouse gas emissions are the two most important reasons to improve energy efficiency. Pollution is a major disadvantage of fossil fuels causing air pollution, water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat loss, and global warming emissions. However renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower provides sustainable energy services, of which solar energy is one of the cleanest, abundant and most sustainable ways to generate electricity.
The use of biomass as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels is considered to be beneficial to the environment because it is believed that it will reduce the increase of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere. Biomass is considered a carbon neutral source of energy because the carbon released into the atmosphere will be absorbed again when new plants/biomass grows in a
In order for one to further understand the importance of solar energy, the problem of global warming must be explained. As defined by Webster’s Dictionary, “Global Warming” is an increase in the earth’s average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect. With an average increase in atmospheric temperatures, our planet is slowly deteriorating. In order to stall or halt this global destruction, countries must turn to solar energy as a cleaner alternative to the depletion of fossil fuels. Solar energy creates a homeostasis for the climate. Due to its ability to decrease global climate changes, solar power can address global warming in several ways.
Biomass energy is made from any form of previously-living material. This includes any animal material or product, all vegetation, and even human waste. Scrap lumber, forest debris, crops, manure, and even industrial wastes can all be utilized and turned into renewable energy through biomass. Often leftover materials from factories such as paper mills are used to help sustain the renewable resource. However, this process tends to be inefficient and unreliable (Mary, Booth), so frequently biomass energy is instead produced by cutting down forests or converting crops such as sugar or corn into combustible fuels. Biomass is considered a renewable resource because organic material and waste will always exist. Whether this is through forests, crops, or animals, as long as humans inhabit the earth there will be waste to utilize. [figure 2]
Biomass has become one of the most commonly used renewable sources of energy in the last two decades. Many of the biomass fuels used today come in the form of wood products, dried vegetation, crop residues, and aquatic plants. It is such a widely utilized source of energy, probably due to its low cost and indigenous nature, that it accounts for almost 14% of the world 's total energy supply and as much as 35% in developing countries, mostly for cooking and heating. The wood from trees is most common biomass used for energy. It has been used by humans for producing energy for heating and cooking for a very long time. Biomass cannot replace our current dependence on coal, oil, and natural gas, but it can complement other renewables such as solar and wind energy. To converted biomass into usable energy in ways that are more efficient, less polluting, and at least as economical, technological innovations will be needed. Gasification is considered as a key technology for the use of biomass. In order to promote this technology in the future, advanced, cost effective, and highly efficient gasification processes and systems are required. Generally all different types of biomass can be converted by gasification into syngas mainly comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane. . From this syngas, all kinds of energy or energy carriers such as heat, power, biofuels, hydrogen, biomethane and chemicals can be provided.
Biomass is another form of clean renewable energy source that can be used to lessen fossil fuel dependence. Biomass consists of organic material
As globalization is spreading around the world, demand for energy has increased in recent years. There are different types of energy sources to meet this demand, such as solar power, wind power and fossil fuels. However, they are contributing to environmental problems, particularly global warming and air pollution.
Biofuel has been recognized as one of the most effective alternative energy to help reduce global warming effect. But, according to the research, biofuels actually do the opposite way. We as human beings, only see good sides of biofuel energy as a complete way to change current situation and give it too much hope, which blinds our eyes to perceive the danger. What we really do is to minimize the impact and think of other solutions.
Biomass is the organic matter in plants which can be burned to create energy. Forms of biomass include wood, charcoal, farm crops, and different forms of waste. Some biomass can be burned directly, while others are converted to methane gas or ethanol which can be burned or used to power different things such as vehicles. Chiras states that Biomass is considered renewable, but it only is to a certain point, it cannot be used faster than it is produced to avoid depleting the resource (2016). Biomass can also be used in a variety of ways to produce energy such as burning it directly, converting it to ethanol, or converting it to natural gas. There are many pros and cons of using biomass over fossil fuels to produce energy. Biomass is great for undeveloped countries where they can’t afford other alternative energy sources because they can reduce pollution by not using fossil fuels. One of the most significant pros of biomass as it relates directly to humans everyday life is that ethanol created from biomass costs roughly 60 cents per gallon, and dropping, which means fuel for vehicles can be produced much cheaper than fuel made completely from fossil fuels (Chiras, 2016). Not only is this form of fuel cheaper, it is also cleaner and does not release as many pollutants into the atmosphere. Although biomass is relatively clean in comparison to fossil fuels, it can release many pollutants into the air such as dioxins and creosote (Chiras, 2016). Biomass can also lead to an