If biomass from wood is actually “carbon neutral” then perhaps biomass-produced CO2 emissions are better than those from coal and other fossil fuels. Wood will decay and release carbon into the atmosphere at some point, however not the same stands for coal and fossil fuels. Both biomass and fossil fuels produce CO2, although the emissions released from the combustion or decay of woody biomass is part of the global cycle of biogenic carbon and does not multiply the quantity of carbon in circulation. On the other hand, the emissions released from fossil fuels increase the amount of carbon in the carbon cycle. The scientists consider carbon released from burning fossil fuels detached from the global carbon cycle which add to the total amount of carbon in active circulation between the atmosphere and biosphere.
Many ideas and opinions have been expressed in the recent years. It is imperative that a reliable, and standardized measurement tool is developed to test the neutrality of energy production. However, carbon neutrality shouldn’t be the only standard. Even if biomass isn’t entirely carbon neutral, biomass emissions are preferable because they are the byproduct of a renewable energy source. That is why the origin of the CO2 emissions should be determined and examined as well.
