By Brian Mwendo

How is Electricity generated in our Homes?  There are many types of energy that generates electricity, these are tidal, wave, geothermal, fossil fuels, biomass and solar energy. But the one that I’m going to talk about is Biomass and Fossil fuels. All these types of energy makes electricity that we use in our homes, some of these types energy produces carbon and some of these don’t. Also they are Renewable and non-renewable

What is Non-renewable and Renewable Mean?  Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources like sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal which are renewable.  Non-renewable energy is also a natural resource which cannot be produced re grown, re generated or re grown.

 Biomass is carbon based and is composed of a mixture of organic molecules containing hydrogen usually including atoms of oxygen, often nitrogen and also small quantities of other atoms, including alkali, alkaline earth and heavy metals. Which is all burned in incinerators.

How does Biomass work?  The most conventional way on how biomass is used however, still relies on direct incineration. Forest residues for example (such as dead trees, branches and tree stumps), yard clippings, wood chips and garbage are often used. Biomass may also include bio-gradable wastes that can burnt as fuel, just like fossil fuels.

What is Fossil Fuel?  There are three fossil fuels; coal, oil and natural gas. According to the Department of Energy, they make up "over 85 percent of all the energy consumed in the United States." These fuels began being formed millions of years ago. Coal is mined and mixed with water to create a slurry that is used in power plants. Oil is pumped from beneath the Earth's surface in order to be refined into a multitude of products, the most recognized being gasoline. Like oil, natural gas is also pumped from beneath the Earth's crust.

Fossil Fuels Are Non-renewable, but Not All Non-renewable Energy Sources Are Fossil Fuels  Coal, Petroleum, natural gas, and propane are all considered as fossil fuels because they were formed from the buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years. Uranium ore, is a solid, is mined and converted to a fuel used at nuclear power plants.  Uranium is not a fossil fuel, but is a non- renewable fuel.