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Pamela Monnin

Professor Barnes

19.SP.Eng.1201

13 April 2019

Biomass & Renewable Energy Resources vs. Their Environmental Impact

For more than a century, humans have relied heavily on coal, oil, and other fossil fuels

for a multitude of functions they perform every day, from turning on the light in the morning, to

driving the car to work, and keeping the factories running. Fossil fuels are rooted in nearly

everything we do, and a result, the greenhouse gas emissions that are released from the burning

of those fossil fuels, have reached historically high levels. There is much debate as to whether

these greenhouse gas emissions are the cause of climate change or not, but it is happening. The

activities people do daily are affecting the environment, their health, and altering ecosystems,

and if changes are not made, there will be detrimental consequences for decades to come

(Nunez). So what environmental impact will introducing new biomass technologies and other

renewable energy resources in place of fossil fuels and non-renewable resources? I believe that

by using newer biomass technologies and other renewable resources, we will improve our

environment by lowering greenhouse gas emissions to help reduce global warming, save our

fossil fuel reserves from total depletion, and leave the world a better place to live for all future

generations.

When talking about biomass energy sources, it is including wood and wood waste,

biofuels, as in biodiesel and ethanol, landfill biogas and urban waste. Biomass can easily replace
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the fuels that are used in vehicles, to heat homes, and are able to produce electricity.

Unfortunately, like fossil fuels, biomass will also release carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a

greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. The difference being that the plants produced as a product

of biomass will convert the CO2 into oxygen through photosynthesis, making the biomass a

carbon-neutral energy source (“Energy Explained, Your Guide to Understanding Energy”). One

common misconception is that biofuels will create a higher concentration of greenhouse gas

emissions, but they are producing lower amounts. In a life-cycle study done at Princeton

University, it was shown that corn ethanol can surprisingly reduce carbon emissions by 20

percent in contrast to the usage of fossil fuels, and as for other alternative biofuel energy sources,

they were shown to have a 50 percent reduction in contributing to the greenhouse effect

(Holzman A248). There are many types of alternate energy resources and first-generation

biofuels from countless different kinds of biomass crops like sugarcane, sugar beets, maize (and

other corn products), rapeseed and microalgae, and researchers are continuously trying to find

new ways to process them while decreasing pollution and having a less harmful impact on the

planet.

The U.S. Department of Energy is funding research projects on algae and biomass-

derived biofuels and advances in the other renewable fuel sources in hopes to reduce the cost of

algae-based biofuel production. According to an article written in the Renewable and Sustainable

Energy Reviews, written by Liam Brennan and Philip Owende:

Based on current knowledge and technology projections, third generation biofuels

specifically derived from microalgae are considered to be a technically viable alternative

energy resource that is devoid of the major drawbacks associated with first- and second-

generation biofuels. Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms with simple growing

requirements (light, sugars, CO2, N, P, and K) that can produce lipids, proteins and

carbohydrates in large amounts over short periods of time. These products can be

processed into both biofuels and valuable co-products (517)

They are trying to find ways to manufacture this biofuel with less pollution and environmental

impact on the earth by using brackish water or wastewater to grow and cultivate algae, so they

are not depleting freshwater sources. Florida has the perfect climate for this type of project and

progress in algae and biomass technologies continues to evolve, advancing the country towards a

diversified, cleaner energy base for the U.S. economy. “Algal biofuels use algae as a source of

natural oils. The algae used are specifically microalgae consisting of small, aquatic organisms

that convert sunlight into energy” (Sipiora). These microalgae produce enough oil to convert into

renewable fuels, such as biodiesel, diesel, and jet fuels. According to The Patel College of

Global Sustainability, “their applied research focuses on closing the gap between the laboratory

and the market place with an emphasis on algae cultivation, biomass conversion to value-added

products, and renewable biodiesel production” (Sipiora). There is a lot of focus on both energy

security and the global concern about climate change, so knowing that this renewable energy

source comes with a very low carbon footprint will be a foundation for the green and sustainable

economy of the future.

Since 2007, there have been a lot of controversy toward the production of biofuels on

whether they meet environmental standards. The first generation of bioethanol crops (corn and

sugarcane) raised many issues with local food markets and concerns on how their farmlands

were to be used (Hill 11207). To overcome some of these obstacles, researchers are trying to turn

crops like agave, hemp, or the native saltbush and wild-growing sorghum for biofuels in places

like Australia where the land is too dry or saline for conventional crops. They have already
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turned the plant oils from these types of plants, like hemp and agave, into biodiesel to fuel

engines and other technology, and they have also experimented with using this energy source in

commercial airlines. At the University of Adelaide, they “have patented a way of tinkering with

the genetic levers that control oil production in plants, so that a plant produces oil in its leaves,

not just its fruit or seeds...A great deal of attention has gone into finding the perfect crops for

these applications: plants dense in sugar-laden cellulose, minus lignins that make extraction more

difficult; or crops that pump out high oil volumes”(Lewis). Shifting away from the oil industry is

a big move but there is a great deal of space to advance toward using the newer alternative

energy sources.

One such alternate technology was recently aired on a CBS segment of 60 Minutes at the

beginning of 2019, where Lesley Stahl interviewed a man named Marshall Medoff, who is an

eccentric inventor in his eighties, that found a way to turn forms of inedible biomass into greener

energy fuel source, while also making it more affordable. Medoff told 60 Minutes about his

process using the electron beam accelerator, which is one of his inventions for breaking down

biomass into biofuel. Stahl reported about their interview that:

This process, Medoff's remarkable invention, releases plant sugars that he's now using to

make products he claims will solve some of the world's most intractable problems,

affecting not just the environment but also our health. One of the plant sugars is called

xylose and Medoff says it could reduce obesity and diabetes since it is consumable, and

low in calories. Xylose is called wood sugar and it has an unusual property that your oral

bacteria cannot use. So, it won't decay your teeth (Stahl).

In Medoff’s laboratory, in his manufacturing operation called Xyleco, he has invented a way to

make plastics with his developing process to help them decompose faster over time, which can
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range from as little as eleven weeks to a span of several years. This is in hopes that they can stop

filling the oceans and landfills with plastic that will not decay for hundreds of years. One of

Medoff’s biggest accomplishments is to have invented a way to use his process to change

agricultural residue, like corn cobs, “to extract the plant sugars and convert them into

environmentally-friendly biofuels: ethanol, gasoline and jet fuel” (Stahl). These biofuels are so

clean and compatible with today’s vehicles that they can be put into gas pumps and fuel tanks

without any alterations. Medoff’s processes were so impressive that Xyleco was backed up by

many prestigious investors, “including former Shell Oil executive Sir John Jennings, and three

former cabinet secretaries – Steve Chu of the Department of Energy, George Shultz, former

secretary of state and former defense secretary, William Perry” (Stahl). Xyleco has moved from

his small operation in Wakefield, Massachusetts to a larger-scaled manufacturing plant in Moses

Lake, Washington, which was set to begin operations this year. His inventions can disintegrate

plastic, fill up automobiles and airplanes with biofuel, and can make a sugar that doesn't rot your

teeth. It's hard to believe, but this improbable scientist, who was not taught in any college

laboratory, but was driven by his own hopes and dreams that he could help save the environment

and stop global warming.

Another innovative alternative energy source that hopes to become global is biogas

production. Biogas can be retrieved from many different sources like animal manure, sewage and

industrial wastewater treatment, landfill waste, and from decomposing biomass. In an article

from the U.S. Energy & Information (EIA) Department, it explains that:

Biogas forms in, and can be collected from, municipal-solid-waste landfills and livestock

manure holding ponds. Biogas can also be produced under controlled conditions in

special tanks called anaerobic digesters. Biogas can be treated to remove CO2 and other
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gases, and it can be used as a fuel just like natural gas. The material that is left after

anaerobic digestion is complete is called digestate, which is rich in nutrients and can be

used as a fertilizer (“Energy Explained, Your Guide to Understanding Energy”).

Figure 1- “Biogas is a Simple and Low-Cost Technology That Encourages a Circular Economy” (Efrati).

Biogas is a natural, renewable, clean, and eco-friendly energy source that has been shown to

reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In a study that was reported in the journal of Energy, written

by Andrew Whiting and Adisa Azapagic, shows that there was “significant reductions in most

impacts(of biogas) compared to fossil-fuel alternatives, including the global warming potential

(GWP) which can be reduced by up to 50%” (Whiting 181). This technology is an excellent way

for farmers and farm operations to recycle their animal waste products daily. Processing biogas

is relatively cheap, is not difficult to put together, and requires a limited financial endeavor

compared to other alternative energy sources, especially in small farm operations. To give an
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idea of how much energy biogas can produce, a light bulb can be powered for 24 hours from the

amount of energy produced by one cow’s waste. Another way that biogas has been shown to be

useful is in undeveloped countries, where biogas generators have been used to help women to

cook on gas stoves, instead of open fires, which have resulted in deadly smoke, respiratory

diseases, and premature death (Efrati). In India, large manufacturing plants have been producing

a natural biogas to power vehicles, which has required little startup expenditure, and gave over

10 million people environmentally-safe jobs. There are still a lot of kinks to iron out in these

systems, since they are still relatively a new type of operation. Some of the disadvantages to this

energy source is that they are still not totally efficient yet in a large scale operation, the biogas

contains a certain amount of impurities, even after it has gone through its refining processes,

biogas is dependent only at certain temperatures since it needs to be able to “digest waste,” and

operations can mostly be utilizes in rural areas since that is where most of the waste products are

being produced. Researchers are continuing to find ways around these obstacles, but it is still a

work in progress.

There are many skeptics who do not believe in climate change and global

warming, and still others that are just totally against the use of alternative resource energies, like

biomass and biofuels. There is a misconception that biomass and biofuel alternative energy

sources will radically lower food production, causing worldwide price increases and food riots

around the world, but, studies posted in the Journal of Cleaner Production have shown that the

U.S. can produce as much as three times the biofuel without disturbing current food production

(Lozano-Moreno 317). Others are concerned that alternative energies will impact on the world’s

water supplies causing shortages, and there will be the destruction of natural forest habitats due

to deforestation from clearing land to grow the biomass crops. Biomass is relatively safer for the
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environment than fossil fuels, but it's not totally innocent. It can have negative impacts on

everything from soil, to water resources, to forests, to the atmosphere and climate. The benefits

far outweigh the disadvantages since “one of the major advantages of biomass energy is that it

produces a smaller amount of harmful greenhouse gases than fossil fuel alternatives produce.

Biomass energy produces less carbon than fossil fuel energy” (U.S. Department of Energy).

People will still argue that biomass and biofuels are not 100% clean when burned, they rely

heavily on natural materials and destroy forests, they need a lot of space to grow and produce,

and some of the processes are expensive. Another skeptic, Jim Lane from the Biofuels Digest,

was not impressed with Lesley Stahl’s interview on 60 Minutes, with Medoff’s Xyleco story, and

wrote “The cynic in me says that 60 Minutes producers are impressed by board credentials more

than science, but cynicism isn’t scientific, either” (Lane). Many of these technologies are still

very new to the world of energy and there are going to be many challenges ahead. Advances are

still being made in respect to how biomass energy can be created without damaging the

environment and being less expensive. Scientists are also working on multiple ways to make the

production of biomass energy more effective and efficient. As with all other alternative energy

sources, using biomass energy comes with its own pros and cons (“Climate Basics for Kids” ).

Figure 2- “Biofuels Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions-

Reductions Vary by Feedstock and Type of Energy Used for Processing” (U.S. Department of Energy).
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If people continue to feel negatively towards alternative energy resources, thinking that

they are bad for the environment, and we continue using fossil fuels and other non-renewable

resources, we will eventually run out and be forced to use alternatives. We must come up with

some compromises and start merging alternative energy resources, like using new types of

biomass fuel sources and different biofuels instead of solely using fossil fuels. Our government

needs to continue to fund researchers to be able to find new and better ways to help protect the

environment, while also finding the best, most economical types of alternative energy sources to

save our future generations. People need to all be on board and know that this is a global

problem that will not be solved by just one person or one source. Individuals could start using

cars that utilize new alternative energy sources, like corn ethanol or electric generated vehicles,

and they could do their part in reducing their carbon footprint. This would, in turn, be a way to

help the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping to reduce global

warming. Another way that people could help is to support the governmental issues concerning

alternative energy resources and the effects of global warming, by being more informed

consumers and support local efforts in protecting the environment. It is going to take a world

effort to achieve this goal, but only if each one of us will do our part in “re-ducing, re-cycling,

and re-using”, conserving, also be willing to try new alternatives, and being more aware of our

surroundings.

There are so many new alternative energy sources being researched to find out which one

is the most energy-efficient, creates the least amount of pollution and gas emissions to reduce the

effects of global warming, and is the most “environmentally-friendly.” It does not matter if the

source is an algae-based biofuel, or made from bioethanol crops like sugarcane, sugar beets,

agave, or hemp, or a Xylose produced from a process called an electron beam accelerator, or a
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biomass produced from cow manure. The thing that is important is that they all are alternatives

to a dying energy known as fossil fuels, and they are being researched to find resources that will

give the world the best protection from these lasting damages that are trying to harm the Earth

and its surrounding atmosphere. So, in conclusion, despite all the negatives associated with

biomass energies, many people believe that using biofuels is a better and a cleaner alternative to

burning fossil fuels such as oil and coal, and the positives for the environment will benefit our

future generations. By using newer biomass technologies and other renewable energy resources,

we will improve our environment by lowering greenhouse gas emissions to help reduce global

warming, save our fossil fuel reserves from total depletion, and leave this world a better place to

live.
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Works Cited

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www.c2es.org/content/climate-basics-for-kids/. 03 April 2019.

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Lane, Jim. “Don't Mess with My Toot Toot: The Zydeco of Xyleco.” Biofuels Digest, Ascension

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my-toot-toot-the-zydeco-of-xyleco/. Accessed 21 February 2019.

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South Florida.” Tampa Bay Clean City Coalition, Patel College of Global Sustainability.

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Stahl, Lesley, Correspondent. “The Unlikely, Eccentric Inventor Turning Inedible Plant Life

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