Developing biofuels from poplar trees can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere compared to burning fossil fuels.  Poplar trees take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store carbon in their stems, branches, and roots.  When poplar biomass is converted to fuel and that fuel is then burned for energy, the stored carbon is released into the atmosphere.  Meanwhile, the trees grow back after harvest and begin to re-capture the carbon back from the atmosphere.  Although the current low price of oil discourages the manufacture of biofuels, there is still potential for extracting other valuable chemicals from the cellulose in wood. Read more and more