I don't think I've ever owned a pair of shoes I didn't step in poop with at least once. That being said, my misfortune in this area was chalked up to bad luck. Or was it? It turns out our planet is turning into one big dung ball! In the U.S. city of San Francisco, 4% of all landfill waste is attributed to, you guessed it, animal waste! Encased in plastic bags, the problem has become a bit more than knee-deep. Additionally, ‘unscooped’ poop left to decay often makes its way into the water table, posing potentially serious public health risks. The proposed solution? Trap the crap! Massive amounts of animal waste are being collected to be turned into methane, a gas released from decaying matter. This gas can in turn be used as energy to power stoves, heat homes, and even fuel specially adapted cars. In fact, methane plants are a growing trend in Asia and Europe, especially in developing countries. |
One large farm animal, , such as a cow, can produce daily waste equivalent to that of 40 people. Talk about tons of renewable energy! There's more. Recently, clever devices known as anaerobic digesters have been installed in some 135 U.S. farms. The machine uses micro-organisms in a zero oxygen environment to break down waste matter, resulting in very useful, very renewable methane-rich biogas. Put it this way-135 farm digesters produce 248 million kilowatt hours annually. That’s enough energy to power nearly 80,000 homes for a full year! The implications of this technology are staggering.
In Jamaica, the digester trend may be starting to catch on. Nordie Smith, a pig farmer from Manchester, was presented an award by the Ministry of Agriculture for his resourceful use of pig poo. In addition to keeping an odor free farm, Nordie uses his collected methane biogas to cook with. Bon apetite, Mr. Smith!
Another interesting way animal waste is being recycled may come across a little hard to swallow. Farmers from Pakistan to China are integrating livestock farming with fisheries, feeding the fish solely on feces, from pigs, ducks, cattle, and sheep. But this is no ordinary poo. It becomes the fish breakfast of champions only after properly composting in pits for extended time periods. The specially prepared, non-toxic-to-fish poop patties are then dumped into fish ponds, stimulating a population increase of up to 300%. Historically, the power of animal dung being used as fish food has been put into practice since about the 4th century. It is believed that Chinese farmers pioneered the technique, rearing several carp and koi species successfully. Not surprisingly, this method is commonly referred to as “manuring”.
No matter how disgusting the task of finding ways to make animal waste useful, it’s a much better solution to clean it up than to step in it. Besides that, exposed fecal matter can cause a load of problems. If not addressed, drinking water supplies can be compromised quickly with deadly consequences. Thousands of deaths each year can be attributed to the lethal waste-borne microorganism, cryptosporidium. Occasionally, waste runoff is responsible for the complete destruction of fresh water ecosystems in lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds. Moreover, decaying feces in large volumes generate considerable dust and pollutants, in some cases causing massive smog clouds. Breathing in this cocktail of carcinogens means exposure to respiratory illness and lung inflammation. Boy,that sure sounds like fun!
So here’s to clean shoes and good health. In these desperate times of scarce renewable energy sources, it’s nice to know that there is no foreseeable shortage of poo. Who would have thought that plain old repulsive doo doo could aid in the salvation of our planet? So next time you step on some dog-logs, remember this article.
In Jamaica, the digester trend may be starting to catch on. Nordie Smith, a pig farmer from Manchester, was presented an award by the Ministry of Agriculture for his resourceful use of pig poo. In addition to keeping an odor free farm, Nordie uses his collected methane biogas to cook with. Bon apetite, Mr. Smith!
Another interesting way animal waste is being recycled may come across a little hard to swallow. Farmers from Pakistan to China are integrating livestock farming with fisheries, feeding the fish solely on feces, from pigs, ducks, cattle, and sheep. But this is no ordinary poo. It becomes the fish breakfast of champions only after properly composting in pits for extended time periods. The specially prepared, non-toxic-to-fish poop patties are then dumped into fish ponds, stimulating a population increase of up to 300%. Historically, the power of animal dung being used as fish food has been put into practice since about the 4th century. It is believed that Chinese farmers pioneered the technique, rearing several carp and koi species successfully. Not surprisingly, this method is commonly referred to as “manuring”.
No matter how disgusting the task of finding ways to make animal waste useful, it’s a much better solution to clean it up than to step in it. Besides that, exposed fecal matter can cause a load of problems. If not addressed, drinking water supplies can be compromised quickly with deadly consequences. Thousands of deaths each year can be attributed to the lethal waste-borne microorganism, cryptosporidium. Occasionally, waste runoff is responsible for the complete destruction of fresh water ecosystems in lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds. Moreover, decaying feces in large volumes generate considerable dust and pollutants, in some cases causing massive smog clouds. Breathing in this cocktail of carcinogens means exposure to respiratory illness and lung inflammation. Boy,that sure sounds like fun!
So here’s to clean shoes and good health. In these desperate times of scarce renewable energy sources, it’s nice to know that there is no foreseeable shortage of poo. Who would have thought that plain old repulsive doo doo could aid in the salvation of our planet? So next time you step on some dog-logs, remember this article.