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Biomass is any organic material that is produced by plants and animals. This includes all parts of plants, animal flesh and excretions such as for instance manure. Biomass in full of energy that can be used for fuel which is sometimes called biofuel.

Fossil fuels may also be a biomass since it's believed they come from ancient plants and animals. But frequently when people speak of biomass they have been referring to material produced from sources that are alive now or were recently.

Biofuel is often talked about as if it was a brand new technology that we may use as time goes by to help solve our energy supply problems. But humans have now been using biofuel because the beginning of humanity. The food we consume is really a form of biofuel that we wouldn't exist without. Humans have also used plant materials such as wood wax and whale oil as a fuel to burn for heat and light for 1000s of years.

Newer technologies have allowed us to use biomass in making other biofuels. Biomass can be burned to power electric generators or converted to methane, alcohol or bio diesel for powering our cars. These methods are energy intensive meaning a lot of energy is lost in converting biomass into the other forms of fuel or energy. Because of this these biofuels haven't been cost effective or practical.

With all the technology going into biofuel research usually the one kind of biofuel that people have now been using since ancient times still remains the most efficient and practical. Burning biomass such as for instance wood for direct heating remains the most efficient.

Instead of concentrating on trying to use biomass to fuel our cars and generate electricity we possibly may be better off using it to heat our homes and buildings. Firewood may not be practical for most people but pellets created from wood and other biomass may be. Burning pellets is economical, clean and could function as most efficient way to make use of the energy in biomass.

For people who want to use biomass as a renewable energy source heating with wood or other biomass pellets are practical and economical and the technology and distribution systems already are available.

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