TOPIC: Renewable Resources
SUBTOPIC: Biomass Fuel
Renewable Resources: Biomass Fuel
Hawaii has been dependent on foreign oil and imported fossil fuels. Now, oil prices and gas prices are rising, and the demand for these fuels are high. Hawaii needs new and better ways to produce energy. What better way to do that than by using biomass fuels? Biomass fuels (aka biofuels) are renewable energy from plants and animals, and refer to anything that can burn or decompose to provide energy and power. It is more suitable than fossil fuels, and can be implemented directly or with relatively low investment costs. Using biofuels can help make the world cleaner and greener, but sometimes, the process to making biofuels can be harmful to the environment if not controlled properly.
Global warming, air pollution, and greenhouse gases are some of the reasons why Hawaii needs to start using biomass for energy. There are different types of biomass and there are different ways in which we can convert them into energy. The different kinds of biomass are wood, crops, garbage, landfill gas, and alcohol fuels. The usual way to produce biofuels is to burn it. But burning biomass isn't the only way to release its energy. It can be converted into methane gas or transportation fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel. Corn and sugar cane can be fermented to make ethanol. Biodiesel is made from left-over food products like vegetable oils and animal fats.
Another reason why we need new resources for energy is because oil and gas prices are increasing , and the amount of fossil fuels are decreasing. We have been too dependent on these resources, and we need new solutions. Hawaii gasoline prices historically are higher than on the mainland and follow trends at a slower pace. Critics have argued that oil companies have kept their prices fictitiously high to take advantage of the small businesses in Hawaii.
Using biomass for energy may cut back on waste and greenhouse gas emmisions. Landfills can be a source of energy too. If we burned all the garbage and waste in landfills for energy, there would be less trash in landfills that get buried! But burning these wastes can release harmful chemicals and substances, such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Even though the process may be unsafe, using fossil fuels are much worse!
Biofuels are currently providing 4% of the energy used in the United States and 14% globally. Using biomass for energy is more suitable than fossil fuels because it costs less and is abundant in Hawaii. Hawaii has enough arable land to meet our fuel needs. 200,000 acres of 675,000 acres of land are being used as prime agricultural land.
In conclusion, biomass is a good solution and alternative to oil. Making use of wood waste and other waste products can help reduce the trash put into landfills. And using biomass can also help reduce air pollution and the emissions of greenhouse gases. There are still many issues to be worked out with ethanol and biofuel, but these alternative fuels may play a bigger role in meeting our energy needs for transportation in the future. If Hawaii makes the change to go green (and as green as possible) we could cut the demand for gasoline below 300 million gallons per year by 2025!
