Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Bioenergy is the Future! Yes or No?


Bioenergy is the renewable energy produced by living organisms (Dictionary). This type of energy is becoming a growing popularity throughout the world in an effort to reduce environmental impacts and save our world.  However, there is a continual controversy whether bioenergy is the answer to our environmental problems or if it only makes the problems worse. In this blog we will be discussing positive and negative impacts of using wood as a source of electricity.

Yes, Bioenergy is the Answer!
Image result for wood as energyWood can be used as an excellent source of biopower. Many wood scraps from lumber yards and processing plants can be burned to heat water with generates steam which in turn generates electricity. About 58% of the wood used for bioenergy is from byproducts and forest thinning (Bioenergy).  There is just a small portion of wood used for bioenergy that is actually grown specifically for this reason. When the steam is cooled, it can be recycled and reheated to continue the process. After the heating process, there will always be waste heat created, but to be more efficient, waste heat can be captured and used for other processes (Why Use Wood Energy?).
               Furthermore, wood is carbon neutral which means that it stores carbon and sequesters it while the tree is growing.  This means that it does not contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming except for the emissions during transportation and harvesting.  Also, the use of wood as energy greatly reduced waste pollution since the ashes can be used as fertilizer or composed back into the soil with not harm due to the natural material (Why Use Wood Energy?). 
               Supplementing wood as an energy source also provides economic benefits.  Wood is much cheaper product to use compared to many fossil fuels to provide energy.  It also provides many economic benefits when discussing waste management.  Since the waste can be used easily and safely composed, the waste is much less expensive to dispose of (Why Use Wood Energy?)

No, Bioenergy Does Not Make a Difference!
               As there are many benefits to exchanging wood as an energy source, we must also consider the negative effects. Pollution is not eliminated when considering wood. Pollution can still occur when the wood is burned to create the energy. As trees are considered carbon neutral, that carbon sequestered in the trees is released when the wood is burned. The trees are not producing more carbon, but they are not eliminating it either (Majaya).
               Another drawback of using wood as an energy source is the particle emission.  If not completely combusted, it can cause major environmental issues and emit particles into the air.  Smog is a result of these particles being released from wood and other fossil fuels as well (Wood Energy).
Image result for wood bioenergy               Lastly, a major concern this that bioenergy from wood will continue to grow, which will cause destructions of major forests. Wood energy has already made many debuts in cities, homes, and around the world which is projected to increase in efforts to reduce environmental problems. As of now many wood products used for energy are from lumber scraps and forest thinning, but the number of forests grown for energy purposes are continuing to increase (Yale).
              
In conclusion, there are both benefits and disadvantages of using wood as an energy source.  It is as controversial topic as to if this bioenergy is beneficial or not, but it is important to look at both sides of the issue. With environmental issues greatly affecting our world, we must look for a change, but is bioenergy the answer?

“Dictionary.com.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, https://www.dictionary.com/.
Majaya, Rachel, et al. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Wood as a Source of Energy.” Free ZIMSEC & Cambridge Revision Notes & Past Exam Papers, 29 Mar. 2017, https://revision.co.zw/advantages-disadvantages-wood-source-energy/.
 “Yale University.” Forests & Bioenergy | Global Forest Atlas, https://globalforestatlas.yale.edu/forest-use-logging/forests-bioenergy.