Cow Power: Biogas from Cow Manure

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Cow Power Biogas Video Transcript

Methane from cow manure can generate electricity for home use. Cow power is a real thing. A milk cow can produce over 100 pounds of manure per day, which must be stored while bacteria digest it anaerobically (without free oxygen). Through anaerobic digestion the bacteria make biogas. Biogas is mostly methane, same thing as natural gas. Methane can be used to run a generator and produce electricity. Most anything that rots, including human sewage and garbage can produce biogas that is mostly methane. We are wasting methane that could be providing a significant source of energy. Methane is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide in causing global warming. Burning methane rather than letting it escape into the atmosphere reduces global warming. In the U.S. only a few dairies are producing methane from manure. There are lots and lots of other sources of methane from biogas that we could be using. Many European countries are already using a lot of their biogas. Certainly us Americans produce great quantities of gas too! What are we waiting for? First we will have to invest in the infrastructure to produce and use biogas. This can be done and needs to be done but won't be done if we don't make it economically feasible for farmers and businesses. We need to put pressure on our elected officials to make it happen.

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