Should there be research to convert animal fat (cheese, butter, etc) to energy?

Question

Ok, as a dual Math/Chemistry or Physics major I am excited about some of the potential for research. My mom is going to watch my little darling while I go back to school (CAN'T WAIT). Also, I really miss my husband while he serves his country and hope that focusing on my classes will fill that empty feeling that seems to grow by the day. I love my sweetheart (the baby not my husband lol lol, actually both lol) but the emptiness is still there. Ok, there was a former slave after the US Civil War in 1865 who went to a university and earned a degree in Chemistry. His name was George Washington Carver. Dr/Mr. Carver focused his research efforts on developing new uses for Peanuts which was a big economic crop in his area. Is this being done for animal fat? I personally eat a low fat diet, and read the labels of packaged foods. I will not eat most cheese and nor drink milk. I want all my red meat to be cooked very well (it has to look black and chewy befor I'll eat it lol)

Answer 1

There are many things were could be using as alternative fuels.

Oils from other seeds and plants could also be an option.

To bad little money has been put into any of it.

Answer 2

i think ther deffinately shud yes.. just imagine drivin along wiv the smell ov pork scratchins n bacon rind following u around mmmmmmmmm

Answer 3

:) I understand your eager anticipation of getting to go back to school.  You may have made your question a bit too wordy with all the extra stuff, but it was kind of cute to read. LOL. :D

Anyway, that aside, no, I don't think that would be a good energy source. Why? Well, it would take a freak'n lot of fat to fuel our country (or even a city!) and though we humans eat and kill a lot of animals, I think we would not get enough left over fat from the animals already being killed and consumed (even if we completely remove all the fat before we eat it and use all of that fat for fuel) and though it would technically be a renewable resource, it could lead to breeding and slaughtering animals simply to create fuel.  It also takes a lot of energy to raise an animal (like a cow) as well as the poluttion caused by them (i.e. manure in run-off water) that would be even more detrimental to the environment. In addition, I think there would be a lot of protesting by PETA for using animals for such a thing.

However, collecting manure from animals like cows can be stored and the methane caused from the breaking down of the waste product can produce energy to power things (like houses, machines, etc.)

So in summation, I don't think it is a viable area of research, but thinking along those lines could possibly lead you to some areas that would be potential energy gold-mines. :D

Answer 4

No because animals are already treated cruelly and to treat them further as economic commodities would only increase their suffering.

Answer 5

butter to cheese?

probably.

let's see, it'll probably take nearly 10 pounds of butter, maybe more (there's water in it) to make a gallon of bio-diesel.

that'd be $30-$40 a gallon or more.

if you were to use cheese, it'd be even more expensive.

maybe we ought to hold off a bit.

now if you'd like to consider waste, you're still going to have to pay for it.  there's a "lard wagon" that picks the stuff up from butchers.  and sells it to the soap works.  it'll be cheaper, but certainly not free.

college is a good thing.  however, if you're going to be a math/chemistry/physics major, i might suggest that you not look at problems through a tunnel.  better to look at all of the surrounding issues that could cause trouble, and avoid wasting time.

have a good day.

Answer 6

Even if it is plausible it would take a lot of senseless killing of animals-- why would you want to do that when enviromentally friendly things like solar power are readily available?