Biogas is a type of biofuel that is naturally produced from the decomposition of organic waste. When organic matter, such as food scraps and animal waste, break down in an anaerobic environment (an environment absent of oxygen) they release a blend of gases, primarily methane and carbon dioxide.
Biogas is known as an environmentally-friendly energy source because it alleviates
two major environmental problems simultaneously:
1. The global waste epidemic that releases dangerous levels of methane gas every
day
2. The reliance on fossil fuel energy to meet global energy demand
By converting organic waste into energy, biogas is utilizing nature’s elegant tendency
to recycle substances into productive resources. Biogas generation recovers waste
materials that would otherwise pollute landfills; prevents the use of toxic chemicals
in sewage treatment plants, and saves money, energy, and material by treating waste
on-site. Moreover, biogas usage does not require fossil fuel extraction to produce
energy.
Instead, biogas takes a problematic gas, and converts it into a much safer form.
More specifically, the methane content present in decomposing waste is converted
into carbon dioxide. Methane gas has approximately 20 to 30 times the heat-trapping
capabilities of carbon dioxide. This means that when a rotting loaf of bread converts
into biogas, the loaf’s environmental impact will be about 10 times less potent
than if it was left to rot in a landfill.