This was written by former NRDC intern, Charles Baron, and is supposed to run in the Omaha World Herald any day now. I think it's a great piece and want to share it here.
Manure - The Smell of Money
by Charles Baron
The odors blasting from feedlots, livestock markets, and slaughterhouses can
be enough to knock the sturdiest plainsman out of his boots. But the
process of turning manure into methane fuel, known as biogas, is catching on
with big industry and small farmers alike.
An
E3's cattle will produce enough manure to meet 100% of the plant's energy
needs while eliminating disposal costs. In turn, the ethanol plant will produce
enough wet distillers grain to feed 40% of the herd. This level of cost
cutting could revolutionize ethanol's economics.
Biogas works for smaller operations as well. Haubenschild Farms Inc, in
Biogas is made by storing manure in large oxygen free tanks or covered
lagoons called "Anaerobic Digesters." The manure is heated to speed
natural digestion by bacteria. Bacteria then release methane, aka. natural gas,
which is piped to an engine to be burned for electricity or heat.
The "cooked" manure can be used as mulch or animal bedding or sold
as valuable fertilizer. High in ammonia, phosphorous, potassium, and mineral
nitrate, it has been shown to increase crop yields by 10% over conventional
fertilizers. Weed seeds are also digested, reducing the need for herbicides.
Biogas also has remarkable benefits for public health. Fecal Coliform
Bacteria, which carries Cholera, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, and Dysentery, seeps
from manure piles into waterways. Biogas systems have proven to reduce these
bacteria by 99% while eliminating odors by 97%.
Biogas also helps reduce global warming. Methane traps twenty-one times more
heat per molecule than carbon dioxide. Burning biogas for power converts
methane into less harmful carbon dioxide. Biogas proves that what's good for
the environment can also be great for business.
By using manure instead of coal, gas, or oil, for power, more of
The manure from each of
Combine biogas with
Biogas systems, while economical, are still expensive. Federal subsidies and
no-interest loans are needed.
Most importantly,
Iowa's
net metering allowance of 100 megawatts per property owner has spurred a wind
energy boom worth nearly a billion dollars.
Lastly, Nebraska's utilities need to modify
their Least Cost Option requirements for utility power generation so that
Biogas means energy made by Nebraskans for Nebraskans. It means giving
citizens more control over where they get power. It also means independence
from Mid-East oil and gas, a stronger local economy and healthier environment.
With the right strategy,
