Resource: Pennsylvania Energy: Biomass

Print Background Essay

Biomass is plant matter and animal waste that can be harvested to create bioenergy in the form of electricity, heat, steam and fuels. Because biomass is produced as part of a natural carbon cycle, it is a sustainable energy resource. The carbon to create biomass is taken from and later returned to the atmosphere, and the nutrients to create biomass are taken from and returned to the soil. What is left over from one part of the carbon cycle is input into the next stage. [1]

Biomass can be replaced fairly quickly without permanently depleting Earth's natural resources. By comparison, fossil fuels (natural gas and coal) require millions of years of natural processes to be produced and deplete Earth's natural resources.

In addition, the use of biomass energy has positive implications for the environment because it releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than the use of fossil fuels. Scientists have linked the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with rising temperatures and climate change.

Biomass is also more evenly distributed over the earth's surface than finite energy sources, and may be exploited using less capital-intensive technologies. It provides the opportunity for local, regional, and national energy self-sufficiency across the globe. It helps local farmers who may be struggling and provides rural job opportunities. [2]

• To view the cycle of how biomass is produced, view a diagram of the biomass cycle:

  Biomass Student Handout PDF Document

  For additional information, contact the Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6422, (865) 574-576-5132.

[1] This paragraph is adapted from a public domain document courtesy of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) that can be accessed at: http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/papers/misc/bioenergy_cycle.html

[2] Kirby, Alex."UK Boost for Biomass Crops." BBC News Science and Nature. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3746554.stm. Oct 19, 2004.

Print Questions for Discussion

• Why is biomass considered a renewable resource, while fossils fuels like natural gas and coal are not?
• One company in the biomass movie is meeting customer needs with a combination of natural gas with landfill gas. If landfill gas is so much better for the environment, why do you think the company still sells natural gas?
• The video profiles businesses in both the private and public sector in Pennsylvania who are using biomass energy to their advantage. Discuss reasons why using biomass energy is important for you and future generations as citizens and members of the public.