The call has gone out from President Bush to kick our oil habit. For many people, the mention of biomass as a fuel source was a new concept. Little did they realize they have already been putting it into their cars. Nope, that isn’t your dad’s gas anymore.

With fossil fuel prices expected to continue increasing, many people are nervous about future heating bills. Using biomass as an alternative is becoming particularly popular. As strange as it may sound, corn is a popular fuel.

The last five years has seen a revolution in how governments, people and industry view energy. The positive aspects of biomass energy have come to the forefront in this discussion.

Biomass burning has an overall impact on the atmospheric chemistry as well as the climate. When there is a fire in the savannas, or tropical forests, or like the recent California fire, large quantities of particulate matter and trace gases are released.

Agro fuel commonly as bio fuel is derived from a biomass. It can be a solid, liquid or gas fuel. Bio fuel is now a common means of decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions and is now used as fossil fuel alternative. It is eyed to replace fossil fuels in the near future. However, it was researched that though bio fuel reduces the greenhouse effect, the release of Nitrous Oxide from commonly used bio fuel contributes much to global warming.

As we strive to find alternative energy resources, many potential solutions are on the table. Biomass energy is one such solution or is it?

Bio-fuels are non-fossil fuels, produced from agriculture sources, residues, and waste. Bio-ethanol refers to ethanol produced from crops (e.g., corn-ethanol and sugar-ethanol) and from waste (i.e., biomass-ethanol). “The motivation for developing bio-ethanol as a transportation fuel is based on concerns about energy security, environmental quality, economic competitiveness, and stabilization of the agricultural sector.” (National Research Council [NRC], 1999, p. 6) Brazil’s three-decade experience in sugarcane-ethanol is considered a success by its government, although criticized by some researchers (Pimentel, 2001; Pimentel et al., 2002). Corn-ethanol production in North America is highly controversial; its cost, its energy balance, and its socio-economical effects are strongly debated between researchers. Biomass-ethanol, produced from farm and municipality waste is still in its early technological and industrial development. This quantitative research presents and analyzes the arguments, and concludes with recommendations for the short- and the long-term; recommendations that are best suited? for North America and that take into account all the aspects presented in this research paper.

Although few Americans use an alternative fuel source to commute, those who do are soon going to be at an advantage. If your alternative fuel source is your feet, whether through walking or bike riding, you are already at an advantage.

With global warming, general pollution and rising fuel prices, our future energy needs are a hot topic. Fuel cells may represent a solution, one coming sooner than later.