Waste Recycled for Energy
Where poverty exists one can usually find water contamination and diseases attributed to refuse and extended use of open fire stoves. Now, through biogas, the simple process of anaerobic digestion (without oxygen), energy is created through human waste, animal waste, and/or kitchen garbage. Just think about it - your waste can be used for energy! In the developing world, this is really novel; clean the communities of its refuse while extending life and giving energy!
AIDG (Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group) is currently designing a small-scale biodigester in Guatemala. They are processing pig waste into fuel that can be used like natural gas, propane or fertilizer. This type of processing helps to keep animal waste out of water for drinking and provides an alternative to wood burning.
Around the world, this new form of energy creation is being used for the poor. Environmentally and cost effective, biogas also decreases respiratory and eye illnesses, often the result of using open wood fires year after year.
Now, why can't we fund this type of development instead of senseless wars, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund?
Algae: A Renewable Source of Diesel Fuel?
When you think of algae what comes to your mind? Your fish tank in dire need of cleaning? A pond after a long dry spell? What about a source of renewable fuel? Yes, fuel! Solazyme, a start-up in Northern California (where else?!) has recently partnered with Chevron to perfect its cutting edge technology of converting algae to fuel . They forecast that within 2-3 years, Solazyme will be able to produce biofuel at a competitive price, even if crude oil drops in 1/2 from the current $89 a barrel.
The idea of converting algae to fuel is not new. In fact, scientists have explored the idea of producing methane gas from algae since the 1950's. Beginning in 1978, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory invested 20 years in the research of more than 3,000 strains of algae to see which one had the most potential of producing significant volumes of oil. After twenty years of intensive research and experiments, they ran out of funding and were forced to shut down. Instead, the federal Energy Department plunked money into the study of cellulose ethanol.
In light of this knowledge, imagine where we'd be if we continued down the road of algae research to a viable alternative energy solution? Wars could have been averted, lives could have been saved, our economy could have been more stable, our planet could be greener, and oil companies and their shareholders would be far less wealthy.
We must ask ourselves why our government and or oil companies refused to continue this research and development of much needed alternative fuel. It is not enough to say that the price of oil was "cheap". We knew then as we know now that oil is non-renewable.
Converting Trash to Alternative Energy
Did you know your rubbish can be a potential source of alternative energy? Integrated Environmental Technologies (IET) has created a system that converts any waste material into valuable commercial products, including eco-friendly fuels to generate electricity, a glass-like substance used to create building materials and more. IET can vaporize about one ton of garbage into approximately five cubic feet of glass! Scientists at IET placed a rubber shoe in the system and the shoe was evaporated into a small glass pellet that can be used a filler for the construction of roads! In addition, this process created nearly four gallons of gas, which can be used for alternative energy.
Their Plasma Enhanced Melter (PEM) system address two major issues: 1) waste treatment and disposal, and 2) eco-friendly sources of energy. It converts hazardous and waste material to renewable energy!
The PEM system is now being used in Washington, Hawaii, Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia. It is a cost effective, environmentally safe and efficient way to convert trash into treasure! My question is why has this technology not been implemented all over the nation?
Wouldn't you rather use this form of alternative energy than going to war? I think of the ridiculous cost of gasoline, the diminishing quantity of oil, innocent lives lost, and our dependency upon oil rich nations; I know this method is a viable way around such insanity.
See a video about their system here.
From their site:
Integrated Environmental Technologies, LLC ("IET") (www.inentec.com) provides high-tech solutions to the problems of waste accumulation and the need for clean renewable fuels. Through its proprietary waste recycling system, the Plasma Enhanced Melter ("PEM™"), IET transforms municipal (household), commercial, medical, and most industrial and hazardous wastes into clean renewable products, such as ethanol, methanol, syngas and hydrogen, with minimal environmental impact and low costs. The system exceeds the EPA’s standards for comparable facilities in all areas including: air emissions, water discharges, and solid waste generation, and comes closer to 100% recycling of waste than any other such commercially available technology.
Cooking Oil into Biodiesel = Greener Planet
Did you know that you can convert your used cooking oil into soap or biodiesel? Think of it this way, cleaner bodies and a cleaner planet, simply by recycling and processing used vegetable oil (and, of course, using it!). Imagine if all of us recycled our used cooking oil into biodiesel? This includes all the fast food chains, restaurants and homes across the board. It is beyond the time where all of us should be using this method as a source of fuel for diesel engines, creating a greener planet, reducing the consumption of oil, and decreasing our dependence upon oil rich nations.
There are 6 steps to creating used cooking oil into biodiesel:
1. Preparation: Pour vegetable into processer and heat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Reactor: Blend lye (alkaline base) and methanol (alcohol) together and then mix into the oil.
3. Settling: Separate oil into glycerine and unwashed biodiesel. Remove glycerine.
4. Washing: Mix biodiesel with water
5. Purification: Remove water from biodiesel and then pour into a container.
6. Distribution: Store biodiesel and allow to settle before using as fuel.
For more information, visit:
The Oil Spill in the SF Bay: A Reminder
One of my favorite reasons for living just north of San Francisco is the beauty of the city, ocean, bay and Headlands National Park. The beaches, hiking and biking trails offer the outdoor enthusiast a playground of opportunities for adventure and fun. This past week, however, an environmental disaster happened. 58,000 gallons of oil spilled into the Bay after the Cosco Busan container ship hit one of the towers on the Bay Bridge. Not only do the shores of the Bay now resemble a dirty bath tub ring, the oil spill is having a deadly and dire impact upon the natural wildlife in the area. In fact, scientists are not sure what the long range impact will be. We can surmise that the oil spill will have a negative impact.
As a result of this oil spill in the SF Bay, I am once again reminded of the necessity of using alternative energy. I am tired of the wars, the spills, and the death and destruction that oil brings. Let's work together to make the world better by reducing the consumption of oil, buying hybrid cars, and investing in alternative energy sources.
By the way, I highly recommend the book, Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil by Michael C. Ruppert.