Biomass and Energy Sources with the Lowest Ecological Footprint

Abstract

The aim of the current study is to carry out an analysis of energy sources and find a source with the lowest ecological footprint; it is based on a desk study using data from databases that centralize energy sources globally. Currently, energy is sourced from seven types of resources: fossil fuels, hydro, solar, wind, nuclear, bio-fuel (biodiesel, biomass, ethanol, wood, etc.), and geothermal. The combustion of hydrogen obtained by electrolysis is still at the prototype stage. In recent decades, studies have focused on renewable sources, with the main focus on wind and solar energy. In 2019, the global energy produced from renewable sources represented only 7%, registering an increase of only 4% compared to 2000. This small increase indicates the premise of a long transition process, accompanied by increases in energy prices and inefficiency in the current use other alternative energy sources compared with fossil fuels. The most cost-effective energy source of the future is biomass because it is an inexhaustible source of energy, which regenerates at a rapid rate; it is produced naturally without the need for infrastructure and equipment; it fixes the CO2 produced by its combustion during the process of photosynthesis, with zero risk compared to nuclear energy. The extraction of biomass from different crops, including woody species (trees and shrubs), represents a way of reducing the pressure on wild plant diversity. The energy source with the most advantages regarding energy production is plant biomass; future studies should be oriented towards this source.