Biothermal Energy

What’s that terrible smell, you ask? Compost, aka organic matter decaying into another organic form.

Biothermal energy is a renewable energy that comes from the smelly energy of composting things, like large scale agricultural waste. Compost naturally creates heat and methane gas, which can be used for lots of things, like electricity, running vehicles, and of course, heat.

Methane (yep, that smelly smell when you’re driving through cow-land) is a biogas biofuel. As we’re running out of crude oil from the ground, renewable energies like biothermal energy are making a comeback, no matter the cost to your nose.

Find other enlightening terms in Shmoop Finance Genius Bar(f)