Conservation 101: the Compete to Conserve Blog

Cow manure is the latest, and perhaps most unlikely, weapon in our arsenal to fight global warming.

photo credit: law_keven

Emitting methane (CH₄), a greenhouse gas with 20 times the ability of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, cow manure can be pretty noxious stuff. However, through a process known as biogas recovery, or anaerobic digestion, the biogas (manure-generated methane) can be “captured” and used to produce heat, hot water, or electricity.

This is hardly a new technology—it has been used on a smaller scale in countries such as India and China for ages—but more recently, it has been used to greater commercial success in European countries such as Germany, Denmark, Italy, Austria, and Sweden. In Sweden, where 7,000 cars and buses run on biogas, the process has even gone so far as one company, Svenska Biogas, boiling cow intestines to extract the maximum amount of biogas.

The United States, too, has jumped on the “cow power” bandwagon or the “manure pit” brigade. Thirty-one states, along with the District of Columbia, have enacted Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) programs mandating that a certain percentage of a public utility’s electricity come from a renewable energy source. Biogas, along with solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and small hydroelectric power, has been identified as an eligible renewable resource.

As a result of these statewide mandates, many U.S. companies are working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in an effort to implement this technology and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which rose 14.7% from 1990-2006 according to a recent EPA study.

While the agricultural sector accounts for only 6% of that total, the annual greenhouse gas emissions from a 3,500-cow dairy are equivalent to the yearly emissions of 5,000 cars on the road. Put in other terms, there are about 8.5 millions cows in the United States, and according to the environmental non-profit organization Sustainable Conservation, biogas has the potential to power a million cars.

Not only cars but also homes can be powered by biogas. In California, the largest dairy state with almost two million dairy cows and also one of the world’s leading carbon emitters, the 5,000-cow Vintage Dairy in western Fresno County could power about 50,000 homes in its vicinity. In 2007, Vintage Dairy owner David Albers, who founded the environmental company BioEnergy Solutions, landed a long-term contract with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) for a biogas pipeline project which, says Albers, will go a long way to achieving the state’s RPS goal of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2010.

In addition to the potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing an extra source of revenue for dairy farmers, advocates of “cow power” cite improved water quality and odor control. Biogas recovery helps protect streams and groundwater from untreated sewage runoff and is less odoriferous than traditional manure management systems.

This technology can be expensive though. California cheese company owner John Fiscalini spent $3 million on a biogas recovery, or an anaerobic digester, system for his 3,000-cow business. Many dairy businesses are, however, eligible for grants to help defray the costs. Fiscalini, for example, received a total of $720,000 as part of a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Grant.

And, conversely, the anaerobic digester systems can be polluters themselves. Such has been the cause for concern at Fiscalini’s operation located in California’s Central Valley, a so-called “non-attainment area for ozone.” When methane gas is extracted from manure, it releases nitrogen oxide (NO_x), which contributes to the smog in any given area but particularly in “non-attainment” areas like the Central Valley. Because of this danger, the allowable emissions for anaerobic digester systems have been set to 9 parts per million. Despite Fiscalini’s “advanced emission control engines,” the system could eventually fail the strict standard for air quality control during the 60-day testing period.

Studies are being conducted to determine why even the newer anaerobic digesters often have problems meeting the current air quality control standard. In the meantime, the dairy industry argues that this harsh regulation unnecessarily prevents the widespread implementation of a promising renewable energy source.

Only the future will tell if this technology will be able to move forward and if that sweet smell of cow manure that assails your nostrils as you walk through the countryside will be powering your car or your home.

To find out more about biogas technology, see

The AgSTAR Program

http://www.epa.gov/agstar/

The California Energy Commission

http://www.energy.ca.gov/pier/renewable/biomass/anaerobic_digestion/

BioEnergy Solutions

http://www.allbioenergy.com/

Sustainable Conservation

http://www.suscon.org/biofuels/biomethane.asp

Other resources:

Holland, John. “Fiscalini plan to turn methane into energy runs into air problems.” The Modesto Bee 12 July 2008 < http://www.modbee.com/ag/v-print/story/357872.html>.

“Cow methane: A trump card in the fight against global warming?” CNN.com. 5 Oct. 2007<http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/10/05/cow.methane/>.

photo credit: emdot

I’ll admit that there is nothing like coasting down the highway on a hot, hot day with the windows down and the music blaring. I don’t even like air conditioning. But since the kid came along, I’ve found A.C. to be a necessity.

The one issue: Kissing all of that extra fuel goodbye.

When Bankrate.com published a story recommending readers to go easy on A.C. and to enjoy the summer air, the onslaught on their email inbox was astounding. Although the site stands by the statistic that “Air conditioning can drag down your car’s fuel economy by 10 percent to 20 percent,” the insistence from readers that using AC saves gas in the end drove them to dig further.

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photo credit: Pear Biter

To some, hypermiling is an art, not a science.  Those select individuals who choose to drive their vehicles in such a way to maximize gas mileage, however, may soon find this form of art giving way to science.

Nissan has developed an accelerator pedal designed to “push back” on the driver’s foot if the pedal detects that the hypermiler is indeed not hypermiling.  While Nissan’s new feature comes with an on and off switch, it does push this eco-friendly driving technique further into the mainstream.

To learn more about Nissan’s “eco-pedal”, visit:

http://www.greendaily.com/2008/08/04/got-a-lead-foot-nissans-new-pedal-pushes-back/

and

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUST25709120080804?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews

photo credit: .magullo.

Biking is the preferred mode of transportation for 39 percent of the Beijing population, and with the upcoming Olympic influx, more bikes will hit the narrow hutongs of the Chinese capital than ever before.

To promote this transport option, Beijing launched public education campaigns to encourage walking and bike riding and upped bike rental availability. While one source (from the Wall St Journal) reports over 100 new bike rental locales, another (from newindpress.com) totals 200 bike rental venues overall, most near subway stations and hotels to provide city-wide rental and easy-return services.

Without a doubt, biking has been the preferred mode of transport for environmentalists, but mainstream organizations in the US are encouraging their employees to also take the bike lane—and providing incentives for those who do.

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photo credit: merfam

Tatsuo Yoshida died a year before Mario Andretti won his first and only Formula One Championship in 1978 (Andretti was 38 years old).  Andretti was the United States Driver of the Year in 1967, the same year that Yoshida’s Japanese animated series Mach GoGoGo debuted in the United States as Speed Racer.  Speed, the main character in Speed Racer had it all – an overly obsessive father, a submissive and practically non-existent mother, a long-lost brother who turns out to be the mysterious and flamboyant Racer X, and a girlfriend who just happens to fly around in a helicopter during Speed’s races. Speed Racer is a modern-day-ish odyssey about a teenage boy struggling to become a man, through his car.  Speed Racer was so good, that the episode in which Racer X (Speed’s brother) reveals his identity to Speed was selected by TV Guide as one of the most memorable moments in television history.

The history of race car driving dates back to the 1890’s, although the modern era of Formula One Grand Prix racing began in 1950.  By 1960 Mario Andretti had already started winning races.  By the time Andretti retired in 2000 (after originally retiring in 1994), he had raced stock car and NASCAR events, and he also competed in open wheeled and midget car races.  Andretti was well into Sprint and Indy Car races by the time Speed Racer first aired in the United States, and a year later, he mastered the Formula One, the highest form of open wheel racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).  Mario Andretti was the best, and in 2000 the Associated Press and RACER Magazine honored him as “Driver of the Century”.

I will admit that I spent much more time watching Speed and his Mach 5 than I did Mario Andretti.  But if television has taught me anything, it is that fast cars are good, and Speed had the best.  Twenty-seven years after Speed Racer’s series finale first aired, Speed made it to the big screen, albeit in a live-action adaptation.  With me throughout my entire life, Speed Racer really can do no wrong.

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photo credit: jdurchen

Detroit’s last streetcars were put out of commission over 50 years ago, in 1956. But with rising gas prices and studies that suggest communities reap $7 in business investment for every $1 spent on public transportation, even America’s automobile capitol may be waking up to the benefits of mass transit. NPR reports that a bill working its way through the Michigan House is proposing to use property tax revenues to fund mass transit in the Detroit region.

Could this mean bluer skies for public transportation fans everywhere?

To hear NPR’s full story, visit:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92739732

photo credit: The Jamoker

Word on the street is that Toyota may add solar panels to its Prius model cars. The company won’t confirm or deny the rumors, but speculation is that the panels could be used to power air conditioning and to boost fuel efficiency. A 2008 model Prius gets an estimated 46 miles per gallon.

Read the full story in the July 8, 2008, San Francisco Chronicle:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/08/BUFO11L7FO.DTL

photo credit: Mulad

I think it’s super cool that my new compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) give off as much light as my old 60-watt incandescent bulbs, yet they use just 13 watts and last years longer. It speaks to both my cheap side (in lower electricity bills, fewer bulbs bought) and my eco side (less electricity used often means less coal burned).

What’s not so cool is the thought that, because CFLs contain mercury that can leach into our waterways and groundwater, I may have to schlep out to the hazardous waste dump to dispose of them when they eventually burn out.

Fortunately, as CFLs catch on, there are more places to recycle your used bulbs. Swedish retailer IKEA now collects used CFLs at its 34 U.S. stores and manufacturer Osram Sylvania offers a mail-in program. The Home Depot, many local hardware stores, and some Wal-Mart stores also accept bulbs. Just make sure that you seal your used CFLs in a zip-lock type plastic bag and handle them with care. You don’t want a bulb containing mercury to break in transit.

(For consumers) To find a CFL recycling center near you, visit:

Recycle A Bulb’s site locator (also includes mail-in instructions, if you prefer)

EPA’s recycling site locator

Osram Sylvania’s mail-in recycling site

(For businesses)
EPA Recycling information for businesses

My “mother in-law” (for lack of a better term) has diverticulitis. I’ll admit that I’d heard of this ailment, but I didn’t really know what it was. So I looked it up. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, diverticulum are small pouches in the colon “that bulge outward.”

Apparently the condition is pretty common and most likely caused by a lack of fiber in the diet. In other words, someone wasn’t getting enough roughage, which resulted in extra pressure in the colon area, causing bulges and then inflammation and…well, let’s just say I now know more about my in-law’s colon than anyone should.

What interested me about the timing of her illness is that I’ve been reading a lot about buying/eating locally. And this disease was spotted in the US at around the same time that processed foods were introduced (early 1900s). Hard to believe that processed foods are over a century old—some may even have been on the shelf for about that long.

But even if you shun processed food and try to eat “real,” not all food is created equally. Whether it is a backlash against the use of pesticides and hormones, or just a desire to help sustain the local farming community, more of us are considering the benefits of eating organically.

Many sources tout how local, organic food saves on fuel (transportation), preserves the land, and maintains much-needed diversity in food supply—all while providing more nutrients for your buck. And it will take a few of those to walk the organic line. But if it is true that the food is better for you, it could be worth the investment.

Some also argue that the cost difference between organic and industrialized foods is negated by the fact that industrialized organizations get subsidized by our tax dollars. In other words, we pay for their gas, among other resources, via government support, while suffering the nutritional differences in the process.

The recent salmonella and E. coli scares in vegetable supplies have definitely called into question the practices of veggie suppliers—from farm to distributor to grocer.

Living in California, I realize how spoiled I am by having so many food options available in state. I can feed myself (and the family) with local products pretty much year ‘round.

Even our local grocery has choices, and although the organic fruits and veggies take up a smaller section, have fewer options, and cost more overall, you have to weigh in what that cost gets you and your community.

If moving in this direction interests you, and your grocer isn’t as stocked as mine, you still may have options. Most major metropolitan areas have farmers markets at least one day per week. In other regions, roadside stands, “pick your own” options, and buyers clubs may be available. Plus, Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers receive weekly shares of produce year ‘round. This is a great opportunity to establish a relationship with those whose livelihood depends on producing these foods and selling them to you. As you get to know what’s “in season” at different points of the year, you can make choices around what works for you.

So maybe you aren’t ready to swear off Pop Tarts, and that’s okay. Hey, I love the Pop Tart. Can’t help it. They’re good. But as the “eat organic” movement extends beyond the hippie culture, it’s becoming easier to find the healthier foods you like/need from a variety of sources, providing you with options.

To check out what may be available in your area, here are some helpful resources:

Farmer’s markets (farmer’s market search): www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets

Local harvest (food sources local to you, including CSAs): www.localharvest.org

It is not a new phenomenon. Gas prices climb. The demand for saving increases. Hints, tips, and tricks appear.

In fact, during the gas embargo in the 70s, all sorts of hints came across the wires for saving gas, including riding your bike to work or driving exactly 55 mph (although this may have been more to curb the natural tendencies of Boston drivers.)

Recent news broadcasts have noted similar hints and tips, including making sure the air pressure in your car tires are even at the appropriate level and carpooling.

Either way, the practice of using driving techniques to save gas isn’t a new concept. As gas prices continue upward, many people are noticing that they don’t exactly get the mileage per gallon the dealership sticker promised when they purchased their car.

Enter HyperMiling—a series of techniques to help reduce the gas used in the average day. While most of the tips center around understanding how much mileage your vehicle currently gets, as well as how you tend to drive, some border on the extreme.

Both CBS and CNN have run segments warning that HyperMiling can be dangerous. Techniques like “drafting” (aka—tailgating by most law enforcement agencies) encourage pulling up close behind larger vehicles to cut wind resistance. One scenario showed a passenger car drafting a Semi—a definite Driver’s Ed “Don’t.”

Another technique, nicknamed “pulse and glide,” suggests speeding up to about 50mph, turning off the engine and gliding. The questionable stupidity of this may be obvious, even to those who haven’t seen The World According to Garp. In many vehicle models, turning off the car can eliminate hydraulics connected to important features like power steering or brakes. Not to mention that the steering wheel could lock, or that the technique relies on reaction time to include restarting the ignition…quickly.

But not all HyperMiling sources encourage these practices. The HyperMiling.com website offers a six step how-to for saving gas safely. Check it out for more info, as well as links to articles covering the good and bad of HyperMiling, here:

http://www.hypermiling.com/car-mpg.html