Posted on 02/22/2006 11:49:51 AM PST by JustaDumbBlonde
Wed Feb 22, 9:22 AM ET
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - San Francisco, a leader in urban recycling, is preparing to enlist its canine population for a first in the United States: converting dog poop into energy.
Norcal Waste Systems Inc., the city's garbage company, plans to test collection carts and biodegradable bags in a city-center park popular with dog walkers.
A city study found that almost 4 percent of all the garbage picked up at San Francisco homes was from animal waste destined for the city's landfill, Norcal Waste spokesman Robert Reid said. San Francisco has an estimated 120,000 dogs.
"The city asked us to start thinking about a pilot program to recycle the dog poop in order to cut back adding more waste in landfills," Reid said.
Dog feces could be scooped into a methane digester, a device that uses bugs and microorganisms to gobble up the material and emit methane, which would be trapped and burned to power a turbine to make electricity or to heat homes.
Dogs and cats in the United States produce about 10 million tonnes of waste a year, Will Brinton, an environmental scientist and owner-director of Woods End Laboratories in Maine, said.
"As much as we love them, our pets leave a lot of manure behind them in yards and on the street and that can be a major source of contamination of groundwater," Brinton said.
European cities such as Zurich, Frankfurt, Munich and Vienna are operating biomass programs to turn waste into gas, he said.
San Francisco runs an aggressive program to recycle bottles, cans, paper and other trash and now diverts two-thirds of its garbage away from landfills.
The city's goal is a 75 percent diversion by 2010 and zero new waste in landfills by 2020.
Goody! I finally get to call you for a Doggie Ping and it's about poop!
Wow, Willie Brown will finally be useful for something.
Now, if San Francisco could only find a use for the bovine scattalogical matter produced by it's politicians...
Energy independence from the Middle East?
But how many dogs must one own to keep the car fueled?
Well, many in that sick city already have a fixation with feces, so why not?
San Francisco to test turning power into dog waste
My sweetheart pup is closing in on 16 years and can't make it too far so I'd be glad to sell the many droppings I have in my front yard!
I thought they were talking about political power.
On their level yes, but what if farms and ranches where used on an industrial scale. Could this provide all th boi fuel we need? No, but could it provide a good amount, maybe.
POOPY POWER!
Big deal. Tommy Chong used it to roll joints once.
This proposal is going to screw up John Waters next movie.
I was just thinking ... dangerous on a good day ... but would this new method idea be some sort of double re-cycling since the main ingredient in dog food is corn? Hmm.. this s**t is getting deep
Gives a whole new meaning to 'Hershey Highway'.
I just love your tagline. And it's perfect for this thread!
"A city study found that almost 4 percent of all the garbage picked up at San Francisco homes was from animal waste"
I simply DO NOT believe this statistic. Perhaps it includes kitty litter?
We have 2 dogs and 3 kids. There is NO way our dog waste is even 1% of our picked-up-garbage.
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