The farms where I live grow maize to feed the biogas reactors. It is the quickest way to get biomass apparently. They can grow a crop of maize then something else after it is cropped. You can tell it is for biomass as the cropping just shreds the whole plant and squirts the resulting small pieces into a trailer. I don't think grass grows fast enough unless you choose bamboo and that is a bit hard to control and may be more climate sensitive.

Martin C

We could possibly produce all our own " green " energy if all farms switched to biomass, solar panels and wind turbines. At least we could keep warm while we are starving to death . . .

Perhaps we should look at the vast resource we apparently pump into the sea in the form of raw sewage. It would seem more credible to use that as a source of biomass, with the added benefit of using the solid by-product as fertiliser, and the purified water can be recycled into the reservoirs. Our local water company are already supplying treated sewage water through our taps. One side benefit from this is less limescale in the kettle.

Mike.

Ecotricity have a product called Vegan Energy; it is grossly expensive and is plain ridiculous in trying to fool the buyers that this is what comes out of their gas main. Whatever next I wonder!

Brian

Does that mean that the government will issue yet another waste bin for grass

Well, technically yes. If you burn ancient gas then you release Co2 in a linear process. The more gas you use the more CO2 you make. The challenge is to convert the linear process into a closed cycle. One of the was that this can be done is produce your gas from plants, burn the gas making CO2 and heat, harness photosynthesis in a new generation of plants to draw down CO2 and build organic molecules. Ferment or biodigest the organics to make gas and the loop is closed. The energy input is the sun which drives the cycle and the output is heat to your cooker or gas boiler. Downsides are the amount of land you need for energy rather than food and the overall efficiency of the loop.

As far as the carbon offsetting is concerned it's a tricky calculation as both behaviour internationally (does it just move the emmissions and consequences abroad) and nationally do we stop doing all the other things that can help the situation.

regards Martin

It's a scam. Since when were grass clippings packed with enough energy to power anything more than a lukewarm composter?

Martin.

The green brigade ( theyre definitely green allright ) have been at it again, plus brainless politicians …..

Edited By Roger Williams 2 on 04/09/2022 13:37:01

Sailing ships and windmills seemed quite successful at the time.

I wonder what is the biggest difference between then …………. and now ?

I think we need to acknowledge that there are simply too many people on this planet and all the resources are finite. If fusion does solve our energy problem we still need food. We may eventually produce products to sustain life that may be enjoyable to eat as well as nourish us. While we still can I will have a steak and a pint of real ale.

Mike

Edited By Mike Poole on 04/09/2022 14:55:30

Why is it that sewage works use methane gas to help treat the raw sewage can't be used in some way as an energy source after all no matter what we eat we all still need to use the loo. Also there is so much Bulls**t in the world gas as an energy source will never be in short demand

According to a university in California grass is better at sequestering carbon than trees. Eventually trees either die, fall down and rot away or catch fire and burn away. Either way the captured carbon is released back into the atmosphere, whereas grass creates soil via its roots and that is permanent. As a by product you can have meat. Ploughing to grow cereals and vegetables releases carbon fom the soil, you don't have to plough permanent grassland