Biomass: The Bane of Witty Titles.

Well, as promised, I'm hopping back on the horse, and I'm going to tackle yet another source of alternative energy, but before we begin, I'd like to start off with a brief anecdote, mostly because I like to say "anecdote."

Farmer Billy of Reynolds, Indiana wakes up on a bright summer morning and goes out to check out his farm. The corn looks quite...corny this season! However, only some of it will actually be eaten. A large share of the crop will end up going into his gas tank. Next he checks on his cows, and woah buddy does it smell ripe in that barn. But Farmer Billy doesn't mind the stench, because that odiferous animal waste is just pure cash money for him. Next, he hops in his truck to drive into town. Along the way, he passes several big honkin' windmills in the fields, just a'spinnin' away. Finally, he gets to his lovely town of Reynolds and drives up to the gas station. But wait! He's not really buying gas at all, now is he? Oh no, he's pulling right on up to that E85 pump. After the gas station, he picks up some lovely tomatoes at the farmer's market and heads on back to his farm, ready to start the day by farming not just for corn 'n' soybeans, but for energy.

So my little story might seem a tad far-fetched, but in reality, this is actually happening in Reynolds. This tiny town, also known as Biotown, USA, is almost completely self-sufficient on renewable energy grown right within the town itself. From ethanol made from the corn to methane and natural gas from pig manure, alternative energy has become the cash crop of Reynolds, Indiana.

Many of the aforementioned energy sources fall under the overarching description known as Biomass. Biomass is any renewable material that comes from living organisms or recently living organisms that can be used to create energy or other substances. Fossil Fuels are not included because, though they are derived from organic matter, they are truly formed by a long and gradual geological process. Biomass does include anything from burning logs to ethanol-based fuel. It's a huge, overarching type of renewable energy, so I'll get to breaking it all down for you right here.