Flashcards
Biomass Energy
Cards in this deck (7)
- 1—Definition:
Biomass energy is a source of energy that is generated or produced by living or once-living organisms. Organisms, such as plants, are burned to create heat or converted into electricity.
Effects on the environment:
Burning biomass releases carbon dioxide (CO2) and other harmful greenhouse gases into the air, which contributes to global warming. Though, the biomass only release the same amount of CO2 absorbed in the course of the plants’ lifetime, which can have a positive impact on the environment.
- 2—Biomass energy is a renewable source of energy because the organic materials used to produce biomass are infinite, meaning that they “can be used repeatedly and do not run out because they (are) naturally replaced.” [1] This makes it always widely available as a natural resource.
Biomass fuels only release the same amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that were absorbed by the plants in the course of their lifetime.
Biomass energy is less expensive than fossil fuels. Fossil fuels require a lot of money due to all the expensive tools and ways of collection used in production, such as oil drills, gas pipelines, and fuel collection.
- 3—Biomass energy is not as efficient as fossil fuels and, sometimes, must be combined with fossil fuels to increase its efficiency.
Biomass energy can lead to deforestation because large amounts of wood and other waste products are burned to produce it. Currently, there is not enough wood waste already, but there is a risk of deforestation in the future.
Biomass energy is not entirely clean. Burning wood and other natural materials for the biomass energy releases harmful toxins into the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants, harming the environment. The pollution could be considered just as bad as the pollution from non-renewable energy sources, such as such as coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy. - 4—Biomass energy first comes from the sun. Plants absorb the energy through a process called photosynthesis. The energy from these organisms can, then, be transformed into usable energy by burning the biomass to create heat, converted into electricity, or processed into biofuel.
Wood, plants, or other waste are burned to produce biomass energy. Biomass is converted to energy through various processes.
The most common method is a direct combustion system.
In a direct combustion or burning system, biomass is burned in a burner or furnace to generate hot gas. The hot gas is next put into a boiler to generate steam, which runs a turbine or steam engine to produce electricity, or provide heat to industries and homes. - 5—The Thunder Bay Generating Station is a biomass power plant in Thunder Bay, Ontario. This power plant is a clean alternative to non-renewable energy, such as coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy. The Thunder Bay Generating Station used to be a coal burner for a long time until the Ontario government converted it to burn specialty wood pellets, imported from Norway. In 2015, it became a peaking plant, meaning that it only “operates during periods of high level demand for electricity or shortfalls of electricity supply.”
Though biomass power plants produce renewable and clean energy, there are health hazards for people who are exposed to the smoke that comes from the burning of biomass to produce energy.
Breathing in this smoke can cause acute respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis, lung cancer, and premature death.
- 6—Other health impacts include:
Physical injury of power plants workers
Mental health and well-being damage caused by worry
Concern and anxiety caused by managing the power plants
Increased risks of road traffic injuries due to the transport of biomass waste
Harm to workers caused by noise and dust from power plants.
Harmful aerosols can harm workers. These aerosols come from the biomass burning process, fuel transportation, and waste handling - 7Thank You For ListeningThank You For Listening
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- Grade 6 Science Flashcards on Biomass Energy, created by Aleem Kassam on 04/02/2021.
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- Aleem Kassam · Feb 2021
- Updated
- Feb 4, 2021
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