The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon that helps to regulate earth's temperature.  Greenhouse gases act like the glass in an arboretum, entrapping radiant heat while allowing ambient light to pass through the atmosphere.  Two of the major greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide and methane.  Of these gases, carbon dioxide accounts for over one-half the strengthening of the greenhouse effect at present, while methane accounts for approximately one-sixth.  The greenhouse effect perpetrates increases in the torridity of the atmosphere, melting the polar ice caps and creating world-wide environmental problems.

   Today, nearly 85 percent of the world's 11 terawatts of energy is generated by the combustion of fossil fuels.  The problem is so serious that some researchers believe that in order to reduce carbon emissions to a stable level by the year 2050 there needs to be a tenfold increase in carbon-emission-free power generation.  Progressive power plants have begun using  biomass conversions to produce energy while effectively reducing the levels of carbon dioxide emissions.  

   Methane, although less common than carbon dioxide, is a potent greenhouse gas.  As quantities of anthropogenic gases increase, the expense of abating methane emissions will also rise.  Using biomass conversion prevents methane emissions from landfills,  capturing the gas that indigenous anaerobic bacteria  would change into methane, which would escape into the atmosphere.  Therefore, this is both an economically and environmentally beneficial process.  By utilizing anaerobic digestion  and  harnessing  methane   gas to  use  as fuel, waste water treatment plants can meet government   standards as well as  contribute to  the environmental  conservation effort.

One of the major impacts of the ozone changes we attempt to predict is the effect they will have on the amount of biologically harmful ultra-violet (UV) radiation reaching the Earth's surface.

As Florida’s population increases, domestic wastewater becomes a major source of pollution around densely populated urban areas, primarily in central and southern Florida.  Groundwater contaminated with human waste seeps into the rivers and springs, which causes significant eutrophication and detrimental algael blooms.  Biomass to bio-gas conversions using anaerobic bacteria could potentially solve these problems.  In addition to the improvements in environmental air quality, biomass conversions also have immeasurable ramifications in the area of water quality.  This process can effectively stop the growth of algae blooms by substantially decreasing the portion of biomass that is allocated to landfills.  This stops the formation of landfill wells that can leak into the aquifer.

   The Floridian Aquifer is subject to direct infiltration or discharge of pesticides, fertilizers, and high-nitrate sewage via overland runoff.  Major problems for the Floridian Aquifer result from the unconfined area in which contaminating wastes are applied to the land surface.  In addition, nearby surface waters receive large quantities of nutrient-rich runoff.  Pollutants carried to the river by overland runoff from farms and dairies enter the Floridian Aquifer by river water intrusion.  This affects 44% of all consumed groundwater in Florida.  One hundred percent of water which is provided by public works facilities comes from the Floridian Aquifer, threatening human and aquatic life.  Utilizing biomass conversions techniques epurate water, resulting in potable water.

Curtesy of Ficus USF

Freshwater aquifers are Florida's primary source of drinkingwater and are tapped by drilling wells.  However, infiltration  by pollutants may deprive us of readily available water in a  time when resources are scarce.