Is biomass really a clean energy resource?

As we strive to find alternative energy resources, many potential solutions are on the table. Biomass power is one of those solutions, isn’t it?

Biomass energy is unique in that it has existed in primitive forms since the earliest days of humanity. Burning wood in a cave is a form of biomass energy, which is simply the conversion of an organic material in a way that produces heat. For example, a fire converts organic wood into heat. There, however, is the problem.

Global warming is a hotly debated topic where everyone has a strong opinion and apparently no one is willing to listen to the other side. Whatever your view on this issue, what is clear is that we are producing an absolute ton of carbon-based gases in our modern civilization. This is a key issue since the amount of carbon in the atmosphere is a key factor in regulating the climate on our planet.

To understand the problems of biomass as a form of energy, one has to understand the biomass cycle that occurs on the planet. Simplified, the biomass cycle regulates the amount of carbon in our atmosphere. Biomass, mainly in the form of plants, uses carbon to grow and the biosphere effectively acts as a sponge for carbon. This sponge effect, however, has its limits. Just like a sponge in your kitchen, biomass can only absorb so much carbon at a time. When there is too much carbon in the atmosphere or we shrink our “sponge” with deforestation and so on, we risk overwhelming the atmosphere with carbon gases. If our atmosphere has excess carbon, heat is trapped and all hell begins to break loose. From a practical point of view, this means that our relatively mild climate on Earth will start to become more chaotic. After the most recent hurricane season, that’s definitely not a good thing.

Considering the biomass cycle, the negative aspects of all biomass energy production is that it creates more carbon gases. A caveman sitting by a fire in a cave is using biomass energy to produce heat, but black smoke is a very nasty carbon pollutant. In modern terms, energy from biomass doesn’t really solve the amount of carbon we emit into the atmosphere. However, there is an argument on the other side of the biomass coin.

Proponents of biomass argue that it is a better source of energy than fossil fuels. The basis of this argument is that plants [biomass] they have absorbed much smaller amounts of carbon gases over a shorter period of time than fossil fuels. Therefore, burning them is a carbon neutral situation. The problem, of course, is that even if this concept is correct, we are not reducing our carbon emissions. Right now, we need to reduce carbon emissions, not maintain our current production.

It is indisputable that biomass has its problems. It’s a better alternative to fossil fuels, but how much better?