Is biomass an example of fossil fuel?

Question

Is biomass an example of fossil fuel?

Answer 1

If you left it for a very long time, and if everything happened perfectly eventually it could transform into a fossil fuel.

Answer 2

No.   That is why biomass is considered an alternative fuel.  It is an alternative to fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels are non-renewable fuels like coal and oil.

Biomass, since it is wood and grass and leaves, is a renewable fuel.

Answer 3

fossil fuels are from plant/animals from millions of years ago.  that have been compressed by rocks piling on top of them.

Biomass is from present day plant/animal material

Answer 4

No, "fossil" means old, such as in the ground for a long time (oil, coal).  Biomass and biofuels (biodiesel, ethanol) can be grown and produced in the same year.

We have to be careful though about possible side effects from switching to biomass/biofuels.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080207/ap_o...

"The widespread use of ethanol from corn could result in nearly twice the greenhouse gas emissions as the gasoline it would replace because of expected land-use changes, researchers concluded Thursday. The study challenges the rush to biofuels as a response to global warming."

Soy plantations for Biofuel are doing a tremendous amount of damage to the Amazon Rain Forest:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/articl...

Brazil just announced that deforestation is on track to double this year; Carter, a Texas cowboy with all the subtlety of a chainsaw, says it's going to get worse fast. "It gives me goose bumps," says Carter, who founded a nonprofit to promote sustainable ranching on the Amazon frontier. "It's like witnessing a rape."