Organizing for America | Todd B's Blog: A better bioenergy solution

A better bioenergy solution

By Todd.B. (office of citizen) - Jun 26th, 2008 at 10:01 pm EDT

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Tags: Climate Change, energy independence, Environment, Obama

What if you could take any organic material, and turn it into energy, and solve the climate change crisis at the same time?

Research is being planned to demonstrate just such a system at Cornell University.

One of a suite of approaches presently under consideration to reduce our collective carbon footprint involves utilizing an anaerobic biodigester, or as I call it, an artificial stomach. Utilizing bacteria, this system can convert any organic material into a biogas, which would then be burned in a refitted traditional power plant.

This system allows for higher overall efficiency and subsequently lower green-house gas emissions overall. What material is unable to be converted, such as cellulose, would then be burned in a low oxygen condition called pyrolysis. The byproducts of this process include hydrogen, for a new hydrogen-powered public transportation fleet, or electricity for plug in hybrid cars, or heat, or bio-oil. But pyrolysis also produces bio-char, which is basically charcoal, that when applied back to the soil, sequesters that carbon for up to 1000 years. This closes an energy production loop that can be carbon neutral or even carbon negative. And as an added bonus, bio-char enhances soil fertility, by freeing up essential soil nutrients, allowing them to be more readily taken up by plants.

Because this system can utilize any organic matter, we can think outside the box for organic energy inputs to solve other environmental problems. These will include agricultural waste products, such as manure, which pose serious disposal issues at high environmental costs, with negative impacts ranging from polluting drinking water to degrading natural areas, wetlands, streams, and rivers. But my favorite new bio-fuel will be invasive species. Consider that someday soon, you may witness privet converted to power, or honeysuckle to heat, or garlic mustard to gas.

Imagine municipal sewage plants powering cities, or lawn clippings powering lawn mowers (better yet not mowing so much), or garbage trucks collecting garbage for the landfill, recyclables for the recycling center, and last week's coffee and filters for energy. Also imagine using switchgrass for power today, and not having to wait for cellulositc ethanol to be perfected.

Now this is the kind of sustainability we need for the 21st century.

Be inspired. Take action for change. YES WE CAN.

Todd B. (Office of Citizen)

For more information see:

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/May07/biochar.climate.ssl.html

http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann/publ/ES&T%2042,%204152-4158,%202008%20Gaunt.pdf

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