Inspired by a Michael J. Fox film made in 1985 that involved time travel, our proposal to solve the issues plaguing our world today is

using garbage as an energy source.

Garbage is of course an ambiguous term and for the purpose of this website, garbage is material that has no common use and is usually discarded.

We have discovered that such a source is BIOMASS.

The reason we decided this proposal was the most beneficial is because biomass is a renewable source of energy, much like hydroelectricity, solar energy, and geothermal energy, and it creates less pollution than fossil fuels. It made an even greater impression on us because it helps solve another problem. Utilizing biomass in energy production will help decrease the amount of waste found in landfills therefore also solving such problems as water contamination. It is also the only type of renewable energy that can be made directly to liquid fuels like ethanol and biodiesel.

In photosynthesis, plants change light energy from the sun to chemical energy as sugars.

6 CO2(gas) + 12 H2O(liquid) + photons→ C6H12O6(aqueous) + 6 O2(gas) + 6 H2O(liquid)
carbon dioxide + water + light energy → glucose + oxygen + water

Biomass has some of this chemical energy as stored energy; it is organic matter derived from plants and animals that is made up of carbon and hydrogen. This energy is consequently released when such material is burned. Like all fuels, the burning of biomass pollutes the air. Nevertheless, it is comparatively much cleaner than burning fossil fuels. For instance, the burning of biomass does not release a specific pollutant that causes acid rain, sulfur. However, it does release the greenhouse gas of carbon dioxide. Fortunately, nearly the same amount of such carbon dioxide is captured through photosynthesis. And the cycle continues…

Biomass is matter from both plants and animals because the energy stored in plants is passed on to whatever animal eats them. Here are several types of biomass:

Wood
Crops
Garbage
Alcohol Fuels
Landfill Gas/Methane Gas/Biogas
Manure

Wood: Though wood has other uses, many people forget that is often used as fuel. People rarely recall that though wood is not regarded as garbage, as it is mainly used in fields unrelated to energy production, wood is, in actual fact, dead plant cells. This kind of biomass has been used for many centuries.

It is the most common form of biomass. It was the main source of energy before fossil fuels and electricity and it was burned to release its stored energy. Today, wood is no longer the leading source of energy. For example, wood “waste” - bark, wood scraps, chips, and sawdust - makes up only 2 percent of the energy sources we use. This is likely because setting it aflame releases carbon monoxide and particulate matter, but this can be easily solved with clean-burning technologies readily available today. 

The energies can be used directly or indirectly after a transformation. For example, wood provides thermal energy, or heat, when burned. The stored energy is released. In addition, the steam released can also be used to operate steam engines.

Energy transformation is not the only way biomass is used in an indirect way. It is also converted to methane gas or ethanol and biodiesel.

Garbage: Garbage in this sense is also known as municipal solid waste, or MSW. This is the garbage we dispose of at home, school, work, and streets. Any part of our waste that is renewable and derived of plant or animal products is biomass. For example, freshly mown grass and raked leaves are examples of biomass because they are plant material and are renewable. There are two ways MSW is utilized: it can be burned, or methane gas can be captured from it.

This has two significant advantages:

1. This is a renewable energy source.
2. Not only does this help solve the problems directly associated with energy use, but also helps diminish the space needed for landfills.

Most of the energy waste-to-energy plants, or biopower plants, produced by burning garbage are used for electricity. Of course, the amount of harmful gases created as a result is appalling and so, all such smelters require scrubbers, fabric filters, and electrostatic precipitators in their systems.

This is extensive technology that filters particles that may contain harmful chemicals and metals in different ways. Scrubbers neutralize acids in the gas stream of the chemical gas emission by spraying a liquid on it. Fabric filters and electrostatic precipitators eliminate the particles from emissions. Also, complex chemicals that are dangerous break down to less complex and so less harmful compounds under the incredibly high temperatures of 1,800 – 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.  All particles that remain are added to the ash that must be properly disposed of after.
Burning the garbage releases their stored energy and this produces heat or thermal energy that can be used for steam or electricity.

Perhaps less known is that before waste-to-energy plants, humans were already burning garbage. They simply did not know it. For example, many Inuit tribes burned caribou droppings as fuel. Closer to home would be coal.

Coal is a material formed from garbage, plant and animal remains that were buried millions of years ago. However, coal being a fossil fuel has many drawbacks. Burning coal releases many harmful pollutants in the air.

Today, power companies that use coal to create energy are required to have scrubbers and filters in their smoke stacks. Unfortunately, humans did not realize the extent of the pollution they were creating, or they did little to take care of it, and the problem has already reached incredible heights. Furthermore, like other fossil fuels, coal is not renewable. Yes, it is created by biomass; however, it will take thousands of years before we can utilize it as coal once again.

One very good material that can be burned for energy is plastic. Plastic is a problem in garbage disposal today because it is not biodegradable, meaning it will not break down and so using it as fuel is an excellent thought.
Thus, garbage or MSW can be burned for their energy right away and in a similar fashion, coal is burned for its energy. The burning releases heat that is used to form steam from water. The steam is used to turn turbines that will transform mechanical energy to electrical energy.

Like all things, there is a disadvantage with the advantages we have mentioned. Four times the mass of garbage is required to match the same amount of energy coal can produced. Still, considering all the trash in North America alone, getting sufficient garbage does not seem an imminent problem.

Methane gas: Methane gas is used as natural gas after it is collected from landfills and processed. It is released through rotting garbage, flatulation, human, agriculture and animal waste. Though it is cheaper to simply burn the methane air than processing it to make natural gas, it is a greenhouse gas and because methane gas is consumed, less of it is in the air. Methane gas can also be used similar to burning garbage. Burning methane in boilers create the same steam and hence the mechanical energy transformation.

Ethanol and Biodiesel are known as a transportation fuels or “biofuels&rdquo,; Meaning it is usually used as a mixture with gasoline and diesel fuel. However, it is advantageous in that that reduces the total amount of petroleum fuel used. Consequently, it produces less air pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, air toxics and unburned hydrocarbons. 

Ethanol: Ethanol is an alcohol fuel that can be produced when grains like sorghum, wheat, corn, sugar beets and sugar cane, undergo fermentation with yeast. Usually, ethanol that is used today is from fermentation of corn. It is more commonly used in North America as a solution that is one part ethanol to nine parts gasoline; it is call ‘E10’ or ‘gasohol’. Though it reduces the amount of greenhouse gas in the air, ethanol allows more “evaporative emissions” to escape. So, the gasoline that is mixed with the ethanol requires extra processing. Like wood, burning ethanol released carbon dioxide, but because ethanol is produced from grains and other plants, carbon dioxide can be consumed and promote the production of oxygen. Ethanol is also nontoxic and biodegradable and so if spilled, ethanol is harmless and safe to handle unlike other fuels. It reduces the amount of air pollution from vehicles and emissions like carbon monoxide. It also is a fuel that does not need lead or other chemical additives.

Biodiesel: Is made from vegetables oils and animal fats and greases as well as other agriculture waste. It is not an alcohol-like ethanol, but an ester. Today, biodiesel is produced most commonly with soybean oil. This can be used as a fuel blended with petroleum fuels or directly in diesel engines without mixing. Like ethanol, it is a renewable fuel and reduces the amount of automobile emissions like sulfur, which means engines will run more smoothly as well as reduce the contribution to the acid rain problem plaguing our nations. It is also biodegradable, and nontoxic. It releases much less air pollutants and black smoke but conversely releases more nitrogen oxide than petroleum fuel alone.