Biomass is made from plants and animals. It can be used for fuels, power production, and products that would otherwise be made from fossil fuels. Currently, it is made from several plants, including miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow and sugarcane. It reduces the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into our atmosphere and it reduces our dependence on foreign oil (right now, America relies on foreign countries for 58% of our energy), all the while helping our rural economies.

Ethanol is a high-octane renewable fuel produced predominately from corn in the United States. E85 is the term used to describe fuel blends of up to 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Ten and a half million drivers already use E85 in the U.S. today. They use flex-fuel vehicles that can run on fuel made of any percentage of ethanol up to 85%. All major auto manufacturers offer flex-fuel vehicle options. And for good reason. Every 28 gallons of E85 purchased reduces our dependence on foreign oil by one barrel, helping to reduce our trade deficit by billions of dollars. All the while, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 46%, offsetting global warming.

Biodiesel is a clean-burning, biodegradable renewable fuel made primarily from soybean and animal fat. It has the highest energy content of all renewable fuels and poses minimal risk to water quality. It also does not contribute to sulfur dioxide emissions.

Wind is the cleanest renewable energy. It produces no pollution, either in the air or the water, and does not use or produce any hazardous substances. It reduces more than 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Plus, wind turbines only occupy a small space of land, making it possible for the rest of the land to be used for other purposes. Turbines are most often and most effectively used in conjunction with agriculture and livestock. The leasing of land for wind turbines allows for additional income for these farms.

Carbon credits allow farmers to lower carbon dioxide emissions and acquire additional income at the same time. This is possible because carbon can be stored in the ground through no-till planting, restoring wetlands, converting cropland to permanent grass or trees, planting conservation buffers, using cover crops and using an on-farm methane digester. As farmers adopt these practices, they earn carbon credits. One credit is considered the equivalent of one ton of carbon dioxide emissions. Farmers can then sell these credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange; the world’s first, legally binding greenhouse gas trading system.