As a greenhouse gas, Methane is 34 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, making it a significant threat to the atmosphere. If not dealt with carefully, organic waste emits methane gas as it decomposes. In order to regulate this production of methane, sealed tanks called methane or anaerobic digesters have been created to trap the methane released which can then be used as energy in the form of biogas. The solids left over from this process, which are extremely nutrient rich, are an excellent fertilizer. Using biogas as an energy source reduces the demand for wood and coal as sources of fuel, limiting their harmful impact on the planet and human health, leading Project Drawdown to rank methane digesters as the 30th best solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The following stories (see below) discuss how communities around the world are currently utilizing biogas to not only provide for their energy needs but also improve their local economies. One project, ISABEL, is striving to bring biogas to Europe by creating strong community involvement to utilize biogas stations. Another project in Rwanda uses biogas created from the school's bathrooms to provide energy for cooking students' food, reducing the school's energy bill by two-thirds. Alappuzha, a city in India, responded to the existential threat trash posed to its tourist industry by becoming the cleanest city in India, in part through the use of community recycling and regional biogas generators. Finally, we learn how hog farms in the US are helping Duke University reach its goal of zero emissions by turning hog waste into green energy. This solution is one of the Drawdown Ecochallenge actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/21/climate/biogas-curb-deforestation-rwanda.html
Amy Yee
The New York Times
21 September 2018
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Moving from an ineffective approach of using pit toilets, communities in Rwanda are finding success through the implementation of a biogas system. This effort, part of a government-led initiative to reduce deforestation, has spread to much of the country including school and prisons.
https://perspective-daily.de/article/514/a8mqE5Li
Felix Franz
Perspective Daily
25 April 2018
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When garbage threatened the tourism industry in Alappuzha, residents protested enough to spur lasting change. The city is now recognized as the cleanest city in India for its efforts in decentralizing waste management. This consists of a government program to subsidize the cost of biogas plants for families, in addition to 24 composting centers spread throughout the city. Now, residents take ownership of their waste, and the attitude shift has made the city cleaner for everyone.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/04/17/601857456/in-north-carolina-hog-waste-is-becoming-a-streamlined-fuel-source
James Morrison
NPR
17 April 2018
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Swine biogas are making an appearance across North Carolina, a state with more hogs than any other state in the U.S. Turning methane from hog waste into electricity has allowed the state to earn valuable carbon offset credits as they work towards brining emissions to zero.
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