Biomass Fuels - Future Renewable Energy Source

There is a biofuel making plant in Arizona that uses algae as its source for production. The plant is set up in a greenhouse like casing, allowing the sun to penetrate. The sunlight helps the algae grow. Long, clear, plastic bags flow down from the ceiling with flowing water. The algae grow inside of the plastic bags. The process is called vertebrae. The creator of the facility states, he could produce 30,000 gallons a year. If we took a tenth of New Mexico and filled it with algae growing facilities, they could produce enough biofuels for the entire country. There are many controversies about creating biofuels. Production of biofuels means protected land will have to be turned into biofuel factories. Some are concerned about the gases that are produced from the type of biofuel used. The different types of biofuels that could be produced or are already in use, and resources that could be produced are listed:

Fossil fuels

Bio-diesel fuel from algae

Turning sunlight into liquid fuels

Using waste cooking oil to create fuels

Hydrogen fuel

Bio-based butanol

Biomass power

Thermo-chemical pathway

Cyanobacteria

Studies of biofuels are currently in progress all across America. Our focus for studying biofuels is to develop a "green" product that is safer for the environment, and to establish a new source of energy for powering transportation vehicles. We are trying to become independent on our own energy resource to resign from depending on foreign country oil production. Depending on other countries for energy resources is putting America at danger of limitations and lack of power. Scientifically establishing our own resources puts America back on track for sustainable life. The world wants to know how using biofuels will benefit them as a society. Researchers are heavily exploring all their alternatives, and trying to get patents for legal purposes. What if we became a completely biomass dependent country? What are the negative results of using biofuels? How can we propel and move forward with the new energy products? Will we be able to use them in future products? These are questions that might be asked as we dive into details of using and creating biofuels. Only time will tell if these products will be safe and reliable for our country’s use. Stating that biofuels can be created out of existing living organisms like dead wood or organic food, why did it takes humans millions of years to figure it out? It would only make sense that life is a form of energy; therefore using existing living organisms that still contain energy makes sense.