Power, by Cow?

Question

Dean Foods is exploring ways to turn animal waste from its thousands of cows into renewable energy for the local power grid. The use of an anaerobic digester is also known unofficially as a p**p-to-power energy system.

The effort may reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate carbon and renewable energy credits.

http://climatebiz.com/node/24666

Answer 1

Yeah there's several methods of making use of methane, which is great because not only is it making energy out of waste, but it's also preventing the methane from increasing the greenhouse effect.

One example I like is Waste Management collecting methane from landfills to power their collection trucks.

Answer 2

Every house should have one.

This is an example of how we can make great improvements with a simple reconfiguration of infrastructure we already have and use; but the synergies are lost because we are stuck in old ways of thinking.

They have goats and cows, a barn, a pile of dung.  Build the barn over a tank, let the dung fall in, capture the gas.

A family now has a reliable source of cooking fuel - no more daily search and destroy for firewood - and - converts a waste problem into a clean reliable source of fertilizer.

In the first world we have human waste, sun, wind and rain available right in our own back yard.

Someday, every household will produce a portion of it's own food and energy, collect a portion of it's own water and process a portion of it's own waste.

The technology is available, the benefits are enormous, saving money, resources and making less pollution.  

And the subtle (or not so subtle) message that you are empowered, you are responsible, you reap the benefits, you are part of the world, part of the solution.

We need to start doing this now.  Where is the political will?

Answer 3

You know scientists have been intrigued by the possibilities of doing this for some time now.  How cool.  The same could be done with human poo since the anaerobic digester is basically what we're using in our wastewater treatment plants.

Pump in the stuff and let the bugs do their thing.  Many rural communities have open digesters.  Ahhh the smells of the countryside!

Another benefit:  "Dairy Air" Quality.  There is concern in Oregon and other parts of the world as well that large Combined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) produce so much methane and amonnia that there are measurable impacts on air quality and degradation of visibility - causing our national parks and scenic areas to be hazy.

Check out the Oregon stuff at:

http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/dairy/inde...

If you are interested in that aspect of... er... cow poo.

Answer 4

Nothing wrong with sustainability, most things are meant to be used and reused. Maybe down the road they will come up with some interesting uses for carbon. I did get a fleeting wisp of carbon being used as a foam product, but "darn" I lost the link.