Biomass and biofuels Flashcards
What does burning carbon do to the carbon cycle?
It short circuits the carbon cycle by bringing in long-buried carbon into the atmosphere. leads to global warming and ocean acidification
renewable energy
energy from a source that is not depleted by energy extraction or that is quickly replenished
Solar energy
solar panals to generate electricity. Require a lot of panals to produce energy
Tidal and wave power
pros: will never run out
cons: only able in certain locations, high cost, kills mammals, noisy for animals
Wind power
doesnt always meet the demand and looks “ugly” to people
hydroelectric
pros: numerous and flexible, relatively low cost, useful for flood control
cons: need a lot of energy to make one dam, flood large vegatation areas
geothermal
earth is still cooling from our formation so you can harvest that energy from under the earths surface
raw biomass and biofuel
any material from an organism that is burned for energy wothout much processing.
cons: release unburned high energy chemicals into the atmosphere
what are the common molecules burned in biofuels?
cellulose and lignin
sources of biomass?
wood, peanut shells, pellet stove, peat bog,
overall problems of renewable energy?
low energy densities, too expensive to elicit much market interest
externalitites
cost benefit from an economic transaction that accure to parties not involved in the transaction
What happens with water, CO2 and O2 in photosynthesis?
uses H2O as the electron source, “fixes” CO2 as organic carbon (C-C, C-H bonds) and releases O2 as a waste product
What do plants need to perform photosyntheis?
light (green), water, CO2, and minerals
What happens in the first stage of photosynthesis?
light creates ATP and NADPH, two high-energy but unstable molecules
