A very interesting new technology that converts human waste to methane. It seems this could be a great solution to chicken and cattle waste as well.

From UK’s Daily Mail Reporter

VW’s ‘dung’ Beetle: The car that leaves nothing to waste… thanks to its methane gas-powered engine

A car powered by methane gas has been created by a team of British engineers. The vehicle named the ‘Bio-Bug’ is run reliably on biogas, which is produced from human waste at sewage works across the country.

Excrement flushed down the toilets of just 70 homes is enough to power the pioneering VW Beetle car for 10,000 miles – the equivalent of one average motoring year. This conversion technology has been used in the past but the Bio-Bug is Britain’s first car to run on methane gas without its performance being reduced.

Full speed ahead: The converted Beetle car that runs on methane gas that is a by-product of treating human waste

The vehicle’s improved reliability means that its makers believe it can ‘blow away’ electric cars and pave the way for a green motoring revolution.

Mohammed Saddiq, of sustainable energy firm GENeco, which developed the prototype promised that drivers ‘won’t know the difference’. He said: ‘Previously the gas hasn’t been clean enough to fuel motor vehicles without it affecting performance
‘However, through using the latest technology our Bio-Bug drives like any conventional car and what’s more it uses sustainable fuel.

Wessex Water’s Recycling Manager Sean Hill stands beside the Bio-Bug which has a top speed of 114mph

‘We thought it would be appropriate that the poo-powered car should be the classic VW Beetle Bug because bugs naturally breakdown waste at sewage works to start the treatment process which goes on to produce the energy. ‘At the moment we are using waste flushed down the toilets in homes but it won’t be long before the energy will also be generated through the treatment of food waste. ‘If you were to drive the car you wouldn’t know it was powered by biogas as it performs just like any conventional car. It is probably the most sustainable car around.’

The Bio-Bug is a conventional 2 litre VW Beetle convertible, which has been modified to run on both conventional fuel and compressed methane gas.

Power ranger: How the ‘dung’ Beetle car gets from A to B

The car, which has a top speed of 114mph, is started using unleaded petrol but automatically switches to methane when the engine is ‘up to temperature’. If the methane tank runs out the Bio-Bug reverts back to petrol.

Around 18 million cubic metres of biogas is produced from human waste every year at Wessex Water’s sewage treatment works in Avonmouth, Bristol.

The gas is generated through anaerobic digestion – where bugs which are starved of oxygen break down biodegradable material to produce methane. However, before the gas can be used to power vehicles it must undergo ‘biogas upgrading’ where carbon dioxide is removed to improve performance.

The Bio-Bug does 5.3 miles per cubic metre of biogas, which means that just one sewage works could power 95,400,000 miles per year saving 19,000 tonnes of CO2.

Lord Rupert Redesdale, chairman of The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association, believes that the Bio-Bug could prove to be the future of green motoring. He said: ‘This is a very exciting and forward-thinking project demonstrating the myriad benefits of anaerobic digestion. ‘Biomethane cars could be just as important as electric cars, and the water regulator Ofwat should promote the generation of as much biogas as possible through sewage works in the fight against climate change.’

GENeco, which is a sustainable energy company owned by Wessex Water, plans to convert its fleet of vehicles if the Bio-Bug trial proves to be successful.

Here is an exciting idea whose time has come. A window farm anyone can make from inexpensive supplies and the idea is constantly improved by users. Think how this might be applied to other ideas. With food prices projected to continue rising this self help project is taking off worldwide. Go green!

I just returned from a beautiful month in New Zealand, specifically on Waiheke Island, a 35 minute ferry ride north of Auckland. During my last week there, my friend Michael Fleck, a master netweaver, introduced me to Tim Lynch, the host of a wonderful radio show, GreenPlanetfm broadcast from Auckland’s University of Technology. I had a wonderful conversation and which you can access by clicking on the GreenPlanetfm hot link above. Tim has lots of other great interviews with visionaries like Bruce Lipton and Carl Calleman. If you do listen, I’d appreciate your feedback since this was a rare media appearance for me. It actually got me thinking that I may want to explore creating a New Paradigm podcast one day.

Today marks the start of the 1st Annual Hemp History Week, which is taking place between now and May 23, 2010. As a national grassroots education campaign, 185 events have been planned nationwide in 32 states with the goal of renewing strong support for hemp farming in the U.S. In addition to events across the country, organizers also plan to collect tens of thousands of hand-signed postcards addressed to President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder asking them to end the ban on hemp farming and let farmers once again grow the versatile and profitable crop.

Hemp History Week volunteers across the country have researched the history of hemp farming and manufacturing in their regions before the crop was essentially banned by its misclassification as a drug. Among this re-discovered history are the diaries of USDA Chief Botanist Lyster Dewey who bred hemp cultivars extensively in the Washington, DC area during the early part of the 20th Century, primarily at Arlington Farms on which the Pentagon was built. The diaries and personal photos of the USDA’s top expert on fiber production for more than 45 years reveal a treasure trove of information on hemp farming research by the U.S. Government from the 1890′s to the 1940′s. This and other research will be presented at scheduled public events this week, along with presentations by local politicians such as David Norris, Mayor of Charlottesville, VA; prominent business leaders such as David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps; and others who support hemp farming in the United States. Events are planned in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, North Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas and Washington, D.C. among other states. A complete listing of Hemp History Week events is available at: HempHistoryWeek.com/events

Lyster Dewey, Arlington Farms August 28, 1929
Measuring a hemp plant 4 meters high

Hemp History Week supporters include Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, who submitted an official statement in support of Hemp History Week to Congress earlier this month. “Hemp was an important crop for George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and thousands of American farmers until it was outlawed completely in 1970 by the Controlled Substances Act. I know many farmers in my district could benefit greatly from the renewed freedom to rotate industrial hemp into their growing seasons. Hemp History Week will help other elected officials learn about America’s rich hemp heritage along with the tremendous benefits of growing hemp in America once again,” explains Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.

In addition to volunteer-run events nationwide, natural product retail outlets are also participating in Hemp History Week by sampling best-selling hemp products in their stores including: Nature’s Path’s Hemp Plus™ Granola Cereal, Sunny Hemp™ Granola Bars and Hemp Plus™ Waffles; Living Harvest Foods Tempt™ hemp milk and frozen desserts; Nutiva’s organic shelled hemp seed; Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro™ 70 and Hemp Pro™ 50 protein powders and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps. Participating stores include Mom’s Organic Market in the Washington, D.C. region as well as Westerly Natural Market in New York City, Earthfare in North Carolina, Henry’s Farmers Markets, Rainbow Grocery and Jimbo’s Naturally in California, New Seasons Market in Portland, Oregon, in addition to local co-ops throughout the country. Continue Reading »

Ocean Renewable Power, is one of a number of start-ups trying to develop tidal energy — water-powered turbines that spin in the current as the tides come and go, turning generators to make electricity that is clean and, they hope, reasonably priced.

Technologies are still being tested, and environmental questions are as yet unanswered. A tidal plant in Manhattan, Maine or elsewhere in the United States that would feed significant power to the grid is at least a few years away.

The appeal is that it’s carbon-free and it’s there, No transmission lines are required

A complete unit would have four 20-foot turbine sections, two on each side of a generator capable of producing, at peak, about 250 kilowatts. The units could be mounted on the bottom or moored under water and in some cases could be stacked as many as four high

The project cannot proceed until more financing is obtained. Environmental reviews could be a “significant hurdle” for deployment of tidal energy systems. “These devices are going in new places, places where there hasn’t been industrial development,” he said. “So there are lots of questions.”

The first units in the water are not going to be competitive with coal. Our challenge is to get enough of them in the water and refine the manufacturing processes and other things we have to do to get them cost competitive.”

For ORP, as for other alternative energy start-ups, raising capital is difficult. The company will soon be looking for $10 million to $12 million to continue development of the system and begin installing it in the Western Passage.