1. Bioma ss Alice Fontana, Joshua Hansel, Julie Pfeffer, and Sofi Valyi-Nagy Physics H 3-4

2. Biomass is… CLA SSY Because it reuses and recycles!

3. Diverse fuels from timber, agriculture, and food processing Fuel crops that are specifically grown or reserved for electricity generation Sewage sludge and animal manure (oh boy!) Some derived from trees

4. Types of biomass resources Biomass Resources Plantation (Production group) Untapped Natural Resource Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Fishery group Other Waste group Agriculture: Rice husk, Rice straw, Wheat straw, Vegetable residue, etc Livestock: Animal waste, Butchery waste, etc. Forestry: Forest residue, Thinned wood, Processing waste, Sawdust Fishery: Processing waste, Bowel, Dead fish, etc. Industry: Sewage sludge, Organic processing waste, etc. Household:Garbage, Human waste, etc. Continental area: Grain, Plant, Vegetable, Fat and oil, etc. Water area: Algae, Photosynthetic bacteria, etc.

5. Initial Setup Costs Since most of the sources of biomass are recycled matter, the initial setup of biomass is relatively small Most money spent in setting up biomass is in transporting the needed materials

6. Long Term Operation Costs Ethanol from corn costs $1.10 to produce Ethanol from cellulose feedstocks costs $1.15-$1.43 to produce A gallon of ethanol costs less to produce than a gallon of gas Cost per gallon: $1.65 Wholesale price of gasoline: $0.90 Retail price of gasoline: $3.00 or more!

7. Short Term Pollution Biomass decreases pollution on the short term by using up trash from landfills Ethanol and biodiesel are usually more expensive than fossil fuels but are cleaner and produce fewer air pollutants. Biodiesel is a fuel made with vegetable oils, fats, or greases and is the fastest growing alternative fuel in the U.S. Biodiesel is renewable, safe, biodegradable, & reduces the emissions of most air pollutants. Biomass does release carbon dioxide when it is burned, but when biomass crops are grown, an equal amount of carbon dioxide is taken in through photosynthesis. Collecting and using landfill and biogas reduces the amount of methane that is released into the air. Biodiesel is much less polluting than petroleum diesel. It results in much lower emissions of almost every pollutant: carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide, particulates, carbon monoxide, air toxics, and unburned hydrocarbons.

8. Long Term Pollution Biomass actually reduces air and water pollution! Biomass produces air pollution by being a part of the carbon cycle, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 90% compared with fossil fuels. It reduces water pollution because fewer fertilizers and pesticides are used to grow energy crops. Therefore erosion is reduced, and soil quality is improved. Biomass production creates a better wildlife habitat by attracting a greater variety of birds and small mammals because they are native plants.

9. Other Environmental Impacts Biomass resources generate air emissions, which vary depending upon the precise fuel and technology used If wood is the primary biomass resource, very little SO2 comes out A high nitrogen oxide (NOx) rate, an effect of the high nitrogen content of many biomass fuels, is one of the top air quality concerns associated with biomass NOx emissions vary among combustion facilities depending on their design and controls Some biomass power plants show a relatively high NOx emission rate per kilowatt hour generated if compared to other combustion technologies Carbon monoxide (CO) is also emitted – sometimes at levels higher than those for coal plants Biomass plants also release carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary greenhouse gas. Biomass power plants also divert wood waste from landfills, which reduces the productions and atmospheric release of methane, another potent greenhouse gas

10. More environmental impacts If improperly managed, energy farming could have harmful environmental impacts. Although energy crops could be grown with less pesticide and fertilizer, large- scale energy farming could still lead to increases in chemical use - simply because more land would be under cultivation. It could also affect biodiversity through the destruction of species habitats. If agricultural or forestry wastes and residues were used for fuel, then soils wouldn’t have organic content and nutrients unless care was taken to leave enough wastes behind. This shows the need for regulation and monitoring of energy crop development and waste use

11. Availability There are several places where biomass can be found and refined. Forestry: a major industry in the United States that covers nearly 559 million acres in the U.S. The large forest acreage and roundwood harvest generate logging residues and provide the potential to harvest wood for energy. Processing of the wood into fiber products creates lots of mill residues that could be used for energy. Agriculture: another major industry in the United States. Around 337 million acres of cropland are currently in agricultural production. After harvesting crops, residues (crop stalks) are left in the field. Many of these residues could easily be collected and used for energy. Biomass feedstocks: Urban wood wastes that include yard trimmings and other wood materials that are disposed of in municipal solid waste and construction/demolition landfills.

12. Availability Contd. Ethanol and assorted ethanol blends are sold at gas stations across the country. 1.3 billion tons of biomass feedstock is available for the production of biofuels in the United States.

14. Even Morgan Freeman endorses biomass!