biogas motivations

An interesting article today in the Register Guard: "Dairy Dynamos: Lochmead cows produce power". The story follows the construction of a major new biogas facility at an Oregon dairy farm. In essence, the biogas plant captures carbon dioxide and methane that normally would be released into the atmosphere and compresses it in a series of tanks, then burns the gas (biogas) to power a generator that puts electricity into the grid. This particular facility captures the equivalent of 3,500 metric tons of gas (that is 3,500 tons not in our atmosphere) and will produce 1.5 million
kw per year, or enough electricity to supply 300 homes. The capture of the biogas also is the equivalent of taking 700 cars off the road for a year.

An incredible win-win for all of us!

The cost to the dairy is zero dollars. Investors have financed the entire operation, with promised returns from the sale of the electricity as their rewards for the investments in Earth. They also get carbon tax credits to sell, and valuable soil additives (mulch and compost) as byproducts to put back into the land owned by the farm.

So the production and consumption of biogas at dairies really is a win-win for Earth and those of us who depend on her.

Which brings up a baffling and confusing issue for me: Why does Oregon State refuse to do the same? The university has the cows (a rather pathetic confinement operation... but that is another subject), and thus has the manure. As of today, the OSU facility is producing huge quantities of methane that simply floats off into the atmosphere. I have been urging (sometimes not very politely) the OSU dairy to follow the biogas path for sereral years now, with no signs of progress. Wherein lies the part that baffles me: Why doesn't the university have any people who are invested in doing every last thing they can to head off the climate catastrophe headed our way? My impression was that universities (particularly those billed as 'research universities) were filled with energetic creative people who would be at the head of the line in creating schemes like the one just completed at the Lochmead dairy. What is wrong with the OSU community? Why are there not incentives in place for creativity? Is it because it is run by an ego-crippled academic who really can't see the real world as a place bigger than the OSU campus and the next Civil War football game? That is my guess: The people are in place, but the leadership somehow discourages innovation. What a shame. So many good minds, so much energy, so much cowshit... yet nothing but freely-released methane. Guess I better relight the fires under the administration, using the Lochmead example as proof that we can do better.

I could use help. The ego-cripple is Ed Ray. You can reach him at
ed.ray@oregonstate.edu. You're welcome to mention me if you thing that'll help.



Namaste.

corvallisgadfly@gmail.com