BY: Koryn , Sam, and Chase S.

1. cr.middlebury.edu BY: Koryn, Sam, and Chase S.

2. What is biomass? Organic material that comes from plants and animals What is the origin of biomass? The first energy source of all biomass is the sun.

3. How do plants and animals produce biomass? Plants absorb the sun’s energy for food which they need to grow and live. The plants pass the energy on to animals and people who eat them.

4. What are some examples of biomass? http://sigalonenvironment.soup.io/tag/Biomass What must happen for biomass to be used for energy? The chemical energy of the sun must be released in the biomass.

5. What are some specific examples of how the sun’s energy in biomass can be released as an energy source? • Burning wood in a fireplace creates heat to keep warm or cook super-conductor.blogspot.com • Burning wood or garbage can • create steam for electricity for • transportation and factories • Burning biomass can make • heat for businesses or homes www.sciencedaily.com

6. Is burning the only way to get energy from biomass? NO!! How else can biomass be used as an energy form? Biomass can be turned into gas or fuel for transportation, heating, cooking, and electricity. What do we call this? Biogas

7. What types of biogas are made from biomass? • Methane gasis made from smelly garbage • and human waste. Bacteria in landfills • decompose the garbage to make it. • Ethanolcomes from crops like corn and sugar cane. • Biodiesel fuelis made with left-over food • products in vegetable oil and animal fat Where is biomass changed to biogas? www.ecoheatsrl.com

8. How do farmers make biogas to use for energy? They use manure and bedding in barns by covering them. This lets bacteria make biogas that can be used as energy. www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us

9. What is the major advantage of using biomass as an energy source? When biomass is used as energy it reduces the amount of material in landfills. Each American throws away about 4.4 pounds of trash a day. 71% of that trash is biomass that could be burned and used as energy instead of buried in a landfill causing harm to the earth.

10. What are the disadvantages of using biomass as an energy source? • It is not cheap to change waste to energy. It costs • more to get electricity from burning trash then it • does from using coal, nuclear, or hydroelectricity. • Burning certain types of biomass can cause air • pollution. • Burning large amounts of trees for energy can • cause deforestation because new trees don’t grow • right away even when planted. • Ash is made when you burn biomass. Ash has a lot • of metals which can be harmful.

11. How can using biomass help the environment in the future? When burned as an energy source there will be less waste and garbage in landfills. If the harmful gases created by biomass are used for energy they won’t pollute the air. What needs to be done in the future to make biomass safer to use? • Waste-to-energy power plants need to find new technology to keep harmful gases from coming out in their smoke stacks. • 2. The biomass needs to be separated so that trash • that is harmful when burned, liked batteries and • light bulbs, are not burned.

12. FUN FAST FACTS **Only 5% of Energy used in U.S. in 2012 came from BIOMASS kereta.info **In the U.S. there are 621 landfills that make gas to be used for energy. • **California has the most gas energy projects.

13. Will biomass be around in the future to be used as an energy source? Yes!! Biomass is a renewable resource. The sun is the energy sourceneeded. The waste or organic material from animals and plants will always exist. Why do some people not like the idea of using biomass as a fuel and energy source? • Some people do not think that land, fertilizers, • and energy should be used for growing plants to • use as biomass for fuels. They think land • should be planted with crops for food, not energy. • 2. In some parts of the world, too many forests • are being destroyed to grow crops for biofuel.

14. WORKS CITED Renewable eia.gov