Just a few thoughts regarding questions I raised and a concept I originated at the recent Food symposium [1] at Cleveland Botanical Garden. As we prepare the groundwork planning and infrastructure to activate the Genesis Project - Link: http://realneo.org/news/2007/02/05/project-genesis-garden-of-eden-ii [2] , it makes perfect sense to resolve our 'Fecal Matter'. Animal and Human waste can both be converted to ethanol via the methane route - a simple chemical reaction , really, that results in the Ultimate waste-to-food mechanism. It would be mind boggling should dairy farms and other farms partner with ethanol producers and machine conversion to run ethanol magnifies. The result is a fantastic way to close the loop and recycle our own waste. Over a week after I proposed that 'Shite could Save the World' at CBG , On February 12, 2007 it was announced that the first-ever vertical integration via cogeneration of ethanol via joint venture between a dairy (waste provider) and production facility for ethanol (food creator) had launched. Link: http://www.wdexpo.org/?p=1223 [3]. Billions of dollars missed out on? Not if we implement here and innovate on the baseline processes done by this group. OR we do what I suggest, and divert, convert and consume our human waste - channel it from compost vacuum toilets, porto-lets, sewage systems, septic tanks and so on - Pardon the edgy emphatic (pseudo) expletive explosion but, Holy Shite Batman! Such positive impact if we get started and utilize one of the cheapest and easily-accessible (producible) raw material around! Our watersheds and other waters (fresh water supply) would be all the richer / purer for it. Let's do this Now and realize there'd be less need to proliferate excessive corn production - we'd either use alternative crop options to create new market ops for farmers - or better yet, convert all our waste first.
The end-product is an environmentally clean and green fuel product. A product both humans and cars would consume - humans, perhaps, for medical (antiseptic) use, personal consumption and (likely) intoxication , and vehicles and machinery could operate on in an environmentally friendly, economically contributive, regenerative way.
Waste to save the world - by becoming a multi-pronged food product for our cars and our selves. Human shite has a density lower than that of animal fecal matter - but it is highly likely we could engineer the ethanol-creation process in a truly zero impact way. Any side products / derivative would need to be food for other processes as well - for example the 'dredge' left over would make a rich fertilizer compost for community gardens and possible food source for our red wiggler vermicompost soldiers.
Convert everything to ethanol and you have the potential to be TRULY sustainable into infinity. The implications for our sewage processes (not requiring excessive and costly sewage treatment facilities) and new economic opportunity for those ready to capitalize would certainly boost economic development and help resolve waste issues, reducing the methane gas contibution emitted by millions of tons of shite.
Let's get enthused and inspired by the prospect of presenting this concept at Ingenuity 2007 [4] July 19-22. This will be part of an innovative Installation [5] entitled A Sustainable Future
A final thought , let's consider what we and our fellow animal friends eat to produce the 'highest quality' raw fuel product around - we are what we eat - and our waste - fuel might be richer if we consider our nutrition and physical education! Interesting research material regardless. Finally, complete the supply chain by driving market demand for the ethanol produced from our poo and we have an increasingly intriguing and interesting interaction.
What do y'all think? Global impact or what? Peace!
Links:
[1] http://li326-157.members.linode.com/events/a-taste-for-change-sustainable-food-choices-what-we-grow-matters-2007-feb-2007
[2] http://li326-157.members.linode.com/news/2007/02/05/project-genesis-garden-of-eden-ii
[3] http://www.wdexpo.org/?p=1223
[4] http://ingenuitycleveland.org/
[5] http://li326-157.members.linode.com/realneo.org/blog/sudhir-kade/putting-pieces-together-a-global-invite-to-ingenuity-2007