permaculture

[Saor Stetler <saor@ycbtal.net>]

 Can dung power save the world?
Imagine a car that runs not on petrol or diesel but on the waste we 
either throw away or leave to rot in the ground.

A car powered by manure has been the star of a major international 
conference in County Fermanagh on how Biogas technology can help to save 
the planet.

Designed by the man who pioneered lead-free petrol, it is so green it 
pumps out only water and carbon dioxide, and most surprisingly, it does 
not smell.

Christopher Maltin, whose company manufactures the fuel, is convinced 
this technology will change the world.

"It is without doubt the most environmentally-friendly fuel available to 
man," he said.

"This is the fuel of the future - this gives you fuel which you can make 
locally, with security of supply.

"It is not a fossil fuel that comes from Saudi Arabia or Russia or 
anywhere abroad - you can actually make this fuel locally in Ireland."

The environmental implications seem to be enormous.

Biogas takes the waste that we all dump and turns it into a cheap, 
clean, renewable fuel that helps reduce the greenhouse effect.

"Every bit of organic material on the planet eventually rots, and that 
methane goes up to the atmosphere.

"This is 21 times worse than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.

"If you capture this methane and use it as a fuel, it is such a win-win 
situation. That is what we're doing."

Alan Burke of Dungannon District Council said that, as a large rural 
local authority, they had experienced many problems with the local 
agricultural industry such as slurry management and food waste disposal.

"Recently, as have other councils, we have huge problems in dealing with 
the organic fraction of our municipal waste," he said.

"Biogas provides a solution to all of those."

Mr Maltin said that whenever he pioneered unleaded petrol he was told it 
would never catch on.

He now believes the Biogas revolution is inevitable and unstoppable.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/3761604.stm