| Ever since humans first huddled around a fire | | | | produce electricity. "Electricity generation |
| for warmth, people have burned logs, straw, | | | | is the single largest industrial polluter in |
| wood and animal waste--otherwise known as | | | | the United States," says Alan Nogee, energy |
| biomass--to create energy. Indeed, throughout | | | | program director at the Union of Concerned |
| most of history, these crude forms of fuel | | | | Scientists. "One-fourth of the primary |
| answered the world's energy needs. Only after | | | | emissions that lead to smog, one-third of the |
| the industrial age matured did people abandon | | | | emissions that cause global warming and |
| biomass for the modern conveniences and the | | | | two-thirds of the emissions that contribute |
| relatively low costs of power provided by | | | | to acid rain can be attributed directly to |
| fossil fuels and electricity. Today, with 82 | | | | electric power plants." |
| percent of U. S. energy supplied by fossil | | | | |
| fuels, biomass appears to be coming back into | | | | By 2020, the Union of Concerned Scientists |
| vogue as one of the top contenders for | | | | would like to see 13 to 20 percent of this |
| replacing these finite and polluting | | | | country's electricity produced from biomass |
| resources. | | | | power plants, says Nogee. Currently, |
| | | | bioenergy resources supply only three percent |
| "Global warming issues have forced | | | | of U.S. heating and electric power needs. |
| exploration of bioenergy as an alternative to | | | | |
| oil and coal," says Anders Evald, a research | | | | Transportation fuels offer another |
| technologist at the Centre for Biomass | | | | application for biomass technology. |
| Technology in Denmark. The center is a | | | | "Consumers used 100 billion gallons of gas in |
| national organization that works with other | | | | their vehicles last year" says Gerson |
| European institutions and companies to | | | | Santos-Lyon, program manager of the |
| research and develop bioenergy products. | | | | BioEthanol Program at the Department of |
| "Biomass can also include biofuels, gaseous | | | | Energy. Vehicle emissions cause 60 percent of |
| fuels for engines and turbine applications," | | | | the urban air pollution. Biofuels, such as |
| says Evald. "The framework under which all | | | | ethanol, can reduce carbon dioxide, ozone |
| this takes place is very, very different from | | | | formation and carbon monoxide by as much as |
| one region of the world to another. Biomass | | | | 90 percent. |
| is used in everything from the fireplaces of | | | | |
| third world nations to modern steam cycle | | | | "The use of ethanol is both a cost and a |
| systems that create both heat and power in | | | | supply issue," says Santos-Lyon. Most ethanol |
| industrial countries," he adds. | | | | is made from corn, an energy- and |
| | | | labor-intensive row crop. With only 1.6 |
| Biomass energy is considered a renewable or | | | | billion gallons of ethanol manufactured last |
| sustainable energy because of its dosed | | | | year, this fuel accounted for just over one |
| carbon cycle. Since trees use as much carbon | | | | percent of total U.S. fuel consumption. |
| dioxide during their growth as they add to | | | | Researchers at the National Renewable Energy |
| the atmosphere when burned, there is no net | | | | Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, are |
| gain in carbon dioxide--the leading offender | | | | investigating ways to use more of the corn |
| of the greenhouse gases. | | | | plant in the manufacture of ethanol, as well |
| | | | as experimenting with genetically engineered |
| President Clinton's 2001 budget includes a | | | | microorganisms to create a pollution-saving |
| new initiative aimed at tripling the use of | | | | fuel from agricultural wastes. The goal of |
| bio-based products and bioenergy by 2010. For | | | | National Renewable Energy Laboratory is to |
| these purposes, the Department of Energy | | | | reduce the cost of ethanol from $1.22 per |
| would receive $49 million, and $194 million | | | | gallon to 60 or 70 cents within a decade, |
| is slated for the U.S. Department of | | | | while increasing the fuel's availability. |
| Agriculture in the President's proposed | | | | |
| legislation. | | | | Every biomass source has critics and |
| | | | supporters. Even within the scientific |
| The U.S. Department of Agriculture has | | | | community, experts debate the qualities of |
| already begun investigating energy | | | | various biofuels, the consequences and |
| crops--such as alfalfa--as a way to increase | | | | benefits of a managed forest, and the ethics |
| the nation's biomass inventory. "Energy crops | | | | of genetically modified crops. Ethanol has |
| require less fertilizer and prevent erosion," | | | | become a political football, the subsidies |
| says Roger Conway, director of the Office of | | | | for which are fiercely defended by Midwestern |
| Energy Policy and New Uses at the U.S. | | | | farmers and farm-state politicians. |
| Department of Agriculture. "As a possible | | | | |
| income source, these crops can buttress the | | | | "There is a potential for abuse in creating |
| farm economy, promote rural development and | | | | energy from biomass," says Wenonah Hauter, |
| add employment opportunities. And, by using | | | | president of Public Citizen's Critical Mass |
| subsidized land for these plants, the | | | | Energy Project. The project, founded by Ralph |
| resulting crops will reduce the $22 billion | | | | Nader, works to protect America's natural |
| the government pays to property owners." | | | | resources by promoting renewable and |
| | | | energy-efficient technologies. "Logging |
| Farmers in Chariton Valley, Iowa, are growing | | | | old-growth forests would be unacceptable, as |
| and harvesting switchgrass on marginal land. | | | | is burning municipal solid waste," says |
| The switchgrass will be burned with coal to | | | | Hauter. |