You would have to be buried under a rock for some time to not have heard that the world is moving rapidly toward clean energy production as a viable alternatives to fossil fuels which are now dominating the methods of energy production around the world. As it turns out, the energy production processes that are based on fossil fuels, do a real number of our collective abilities to breathe. Well, the world is full of trade-offs, I guess. Nearly even conversation about clean energy addresses energy production without the severe impact of poor air quality as a side benefit. The part of clean energy that is rarely discussed is that clean energy production involves getting very dirty. There is no need to cover all varieties of clean energy production, but there is one method, in particular, that is really intriguing. That method involves taking biological waste and producing gas that can be used to supplement our energy needs. New products, such as anaerobic digesters are now entering the market so that average consumers can take their dinner scraps, banana peels and pet poo and produce clean gas that can power their stoves for hours. This allows some portion of a home's energy budget to be satisfied completely off the grid. These digesters take all of the waste material and applies anaerobic micro-organisms to eat the material. This activity occurs inside a sealed container where there is no oxygen. That is why the process is referred to as anaerobic. As the microorganisms eat away at the bio-degradable material, a combination of methane and carbon-dioxide is produced. The methane gas may then be extracted and captured for home or industrial use.
This process has been scaled up massively by the Government of Washington, DC. That's right. All of the “stuff” that is produced by residents, workers and lawmakers of this city is captured and used to generate massive amounts of energy that is, subsequently, introduced to the grid to power more homes and lower the production of harmful contaminants to the environment. Take a look at this article that provides the details of the plant and its benefit to the city and the environment: Poop to Power . For decades, Americans have been throwing energy away in the trash can and all of that energy production potential was lost. Due to some really innovative thinking, we are beginning the harness that lost potential and benefit on many different levels. So, the next time you are running short of power, just remember that by staying regular, you are helping to keep the grid alive and well. Sometimes, the things that seemingly has the least amount of appeal can pack a whole lot of power!
