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Dependence of Man on the Environment

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Dependence of Man on the Environment
Comparison of Biomass and Biofuels

Leslie Stillwagon

SCI207: Dependence of Man

Instructor: Dr. Dariush Azimi

June 13, 2011

Revised June 21, 2011

When having to wonder how the environment is fairing with all the global warming and climate changes on going in the world. There are more of the renewable fuels to use like biofuels and biomass we have to wonder how all of this will affect the ever changing of the environment. There are several different environmental problems of biofuels and biomass in the world. We often wonder about the comparison of energy security by biofuels and biomass combined together, because these items are being used for energy and the future of our environmental issues and science. Most of the biofuels and biomass are combined to be used in agricultural situations that are continuing to affect our environment through energy security. It seems that biomass come from bioenergy and are efficient to our environment to contain wood. “Bioenergy, the energy from biomass, has been used for thousands of years, ever since people started burning wood to cook food or to keep warm, and today, wood is still our largest biomass resource from bioenergy. Many countries in the developing world still use wood as their primary fuel (Demirbas and Demirbas, 2007). Wood is one of the carbonaceous fuels. The carbonaceous fuels are responsible for over 80% of the worlds energy production (Demirbas and Demirbas, 2007).” This is crazy with so much of comparisons of how biofuels and biomass are so close together in this environment. Biofuels are derived from bioethanol which is used as gas for different vehicles like from corn and other agricultural items. With all the agricultural problems of food these environmental problems help for our country there is carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide that is trying to make the environment a better place to live. “Agricultural residues such as straws, nut shells, fruit shells, fruit seeds, plant stalks and



References: Cunningham, Mary Ann, Cunningham William P. Principles of Environmental Science Inquiry and Applications. 2008, pg. 167, pg. 301. Demirbas, A. 2007. Progress and recent trends in biofuels. Progress Energy Combus. Sci. 33:1–18. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0126188e- 5b81-49e8-9809-59b9c3848086%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=127 Demirbas, A. 1998. Aqueous glycerol delignification of wood chips and ground wood. Biores. Technol. 63:179–185. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0126188e-5b81-49e8- 9809-59b9c3848086%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=127 Dornburg, Veronika. Lewandowski, Iris. Patel, Morgan. Comparing the Land Requirements, Energy Savings, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction of Biobased Polymers and Bioenergy. 2004. Pgs.107-114. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=98f2fd59-54a3-4e32- 8c06-47687806673f%40sessionmgr10&vid=1&hid=18 Easton, Thomas. Taking Sides, Clashing Views on Environmental Issues. Thirteenth Edition. 2009, McGraw-Hill, Higher Education. Pgs. 207 and 208-210. Simpson, Tom. Bioscience, Vol. 59, No. 11 December 2009. Biofuels: The Past, Present, and a New Vision for the Future. Pg. 926-927. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/bio.2009.59.11.2 .

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