How can burning biomass waste be considered renewable energy?
Plant matter uses carbon dioxide (along with water and sunlight) through photosynthesis to grow. Burning this material converts the energy stored from the sun into electricity and produces carbon dioxide. Burning a renewable resource like plant matter instead of a non-renewable resource like fossil fuels such as coal has a net greenhouse benefit. If plant matter is left to decay in landfill sites it produces methane gas which is 21 times worse than the carbon dioxide produced from burning it. In addition, most biomass projects use waste products from agricultural processes, such as bagasse from the sugar cane industry.
