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Crop residues: Difference between revisions
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(Created page with "''Biomass waste'' refers to the ''parts of food crops'' that humans '''can't''' eat. This material is mostly fibre (cellulose). '''Examples:''' * banana leaves * peanut shells * coconut shells * empty corn cobs with no kernels. * straw '''Abundance:''' * Production is roughly equal to food production, because about half of the average food crop is biomass waste (the other half is food). * This page needs more precise numbers. '''Uses:''' # All biomass waste can be...") |
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'' | Nearly every food crop has some parts that are too fibrous for people to eat. These are called '''crop residues''', also known as '''biomass waste.''' | ||
__NOTOC__ | |||
==Examples== | |||
* banana leaves | * banana leaves | ||
* peanut shells | * peanut shells | ||
* coconut shells | * coconut shells | ||
* empty corn cobs with no kernels | * empty corn cobs with no kernels | ||
* rice husks | |||
* sunflower seed husks | |||
* [[straw]] | * [[straw]] | ||
==Uses== | |||
# All biomass waste can be burned for [[energy]]. | # All biomass waste can be burned for [[energy]]. | ||
# ''Some'' kinds of biomass waste can be converted into [[packaging]]. | # ''Some'' kinds of biomass waste can be converted into [[packaging]]. | ||
| Line 20: | Line 18: | ||
3 and 4 are both ways to convert fiber into human-edible protein & calories. Help figure out which of these processes is more efficient overall. This page doesn't have enough information yet - join the {{talk}}. | 3 and 4 are both ways to convert fiber into human-edible protein & calories. Help figure out which of these processes is more efficient overall. This page doesn't have enough information yet - join the {{talk}}. | ||
==Supply== | |||
{{sum|Major limitation|bad}} | |||
'''Global [[fossil fuel]] consumption far exceeds what can be produced by crops.''' | |||
<!-- | |||
Production is roughly equal to food production, because about half of the average food crop is biomass waste (the other half is food). | |||
--> | |||
===Mass=== | |||
{{dp | |||
|crop_residues | |||
|1.7 billion tonnes/year | |||
|Dry mass of all crop residues, byproducts, and oilseed cakes except for soybean | |||
|This should be, in principle, all the human-'''inedible''' parts of food crops (inedible due to being too fibrous; ruminants can digest the fiber and get calories from it).<br />Soybean meal is '''not''' counted here, because it '''can''' be turned into human food (soy flour). | |||
Source: | |||
<br />Breewood, H. & Garnett, T. (2020). What is feed-food competition? (Foodsource: building blocks). Food Climate Research Network, University of Oxford. | |||
<br />Page 10 | |||
<br />References primary source: | |||
<br />Mottet, A., de Haan, C., Falcucci, A., Tempio, G., Opio, C., & Gerber, P. (2017). Livestock: On our plates or eating at our table? A new analysis of the feed/food debate. Global Food Security. | |||
}} | |||
{{dp | |||
|world.population | |||
|8 billion | |||
}} | |||
{{dp | |||
|kalorie | |||
|kcal | |||
|A food calorie | |||
}} | |||
{{dp | |||
|fiber.energy_by_mass | |||
|4 kalorie/gram | |||
}} | |||
{{dp | |||
|power_plant.efficiency | |||
|33% | |||
|How much of the fuel combustion heat becomes electricity | |||
|This applies to any power plant that runs on biomass, coal, nuclear fission, or in some cases natural gas. The fuel heats water which generates steam to drive a turbine that generates electricity. | |||
}} | |||
How much does the world produce: | |||
{{calc | |||
|crop_residues / world.population | |||
|grams/day per capita | |||
|dry_mass | |||
}} | |||
If this could be converted into [[packaging]], it would probably be more than enough to '''replace all disposable plastic.''' | |||
===Energy=== | |||
If all of it was burned for [[energy]], it would be equivalent to burning: | |||
{{calc | |||
|dry_mass * fiber.energy_by_mass | |||
|cups gasoline/day per capita | |||
}} | |||
If it was burned in a power plant, the electricity generated would be: | |||
{{calc | |||
|dry_mass * fiber.energy_by_mass * power_plant.efficiency | |||
|watts per capita | |||
}} | |||
'''Biomass energy is nowhere near enough to power the world.''' | |||
<!--But it's still better than nothing, and at least it's not the same as [[biofuel|burning edible food]].--> | |||
==See also== | |||
Other [[energy]] sources: | |||
* [[Solar]] | |||
* [[Wind]] | |||
* [[Hydro]] | |||
* [[Nuclear]] | |||
[[Category:Energy sources]] | |||