Teaching Biomass Energy in Secondary School Chemistry: A Stimulus for Achieving Sustainable Energy

The continuous increase of energy consumption has generally improved the standard of living but it has also caused serious environmental problems. There is therefore the need for sustainable energy sources. Sustainable energy involves increasing production of renewable energy, making safe energy universally available, and energy conservation. Sustainable energy is of great importance in Nigeria considering the broad and growing nature of energy use. Burning of fossil fuels to generate energy has resulted to many negative environmental problems on the climate, natural environment and the society at large. There is the need o change to other renewable and environmental free sources of energy. Biomass is a renewable energy source used to reduce our overdependence on fossil fuels and to help reduce air pollution. Secondary school chemistry students need to be taught about this biomass and biomass energy at the early stage of their educational pursuit even as they are the future scientists. When the students are best informed about these concepts at the early stage of their education and they develop interest in learning them, they will be in a better position to enhance their utilization as good sources of renewable energy in future as they are the hope of the nation as future scientists The paper therefore examined the concept of biomass and biomass energy, conversion of biomass to energy, advantages of biomass energy over fossil fuels and the implication of teaching biomass and biomass energy to secondary school chemistry students.