17. Huge amounts of bioinass resources are availaLrle in developing countries andare nort being used for energy production. Developnents in the technologies ofproduction and use of traditional biomass energy sources have been discussed above(see para. f6). There are also new technologies being developed to eonvert theoriginal resource into a different form through the use of thernochemical orbiochemical processes. Thernochemical teehnology is combustion utilipinc inprovedburning devices and technigues. An example is pyrolysis gas, a gas low in Britishthermal units and eonverted fron woori or agricultural residues, which could be usedas a substitute for petroleum products in sueh apptications as boiler firing. Theapplication of biochemical technology can be in two forms. One is the anaerobicdigestion of organic wastes involving the bacteriological deconposition of sucbmaterials in an oxygen-free environment and yieldinq methane or biogas and afertilizer by-product; this method has been applied on a large scale in China andother Asian countries. 20/ Because of its simplicity and the widespreadavailability of tbe raw materials, this technology could be aclopted rapidly in therural areas in developing countries throughout the period 1980-2000. The secondform is the fermentation of carbohydrates, such as cassava or sugar-cane, intoethanol to be used directly or in a mixture with gasoline for trarisportation fuel;A/40/sLL English Page 8 this nethod is in use in Brazil. rn deciding on the adoption of this technology,it is necessary to consider the high capital costs and the opportunity costs oiproducing the agricultural raw materials I8' other research and experinents are being undertaken which, if fruitful, eouldyield results towards the end of the eentury. Methods are being developed tocultivate biomass naterials. For example, in the philippines a very fast-growingtree called leucaena acidophila has been systematically cultivated for its energyvarue. 2L/ The potential of energy produetion by the large-scale cultivation ofaguatic;lants iL also being exfloreo. At the sane time, technigues are beingdeveloped for biomass utilization. For example, the reduction of Iignocellulose, aubiguitous component of plant-life forms, could lead to a broadening of the use ofbiomass to produce ethyl alcohol by fermentation and to the more general use ofbiomass to yield methyt alcohol by distillation. 22/ (d) Oil shale and tar sands
**Analysis**
The text discusses the availability of bioinass resources in developing countries and the potential for their use in energy production, particularly through traditional biomass energy sources, new technologies, and cultivation of biomass materials. The text also mentions the application of biochemical technology and the development of techniques for biomass utilization. This suggests that the text is primarily focused on the use of natural resources for energy production, which is a key aspect of economic development and the environment.

**Category**
Economic development, Natural resources and environment