Energy

Powering Planes through Arrested Anaerobic Digestion

Waste is not glamorous. Just look at the moldy pumpkin leftovers from Halloween and Thanksgiving (yes, there are still quite a few around my neighborhood!) and you know why so many of us prefer to not spend our time thinking about wastes. From an energy standpoint, however, waste contains a largely untapped reserve of resources that can be recycled into the products we utilize daily as consumers. When we recover these materials, we have fewer materials to deal with as waste – and also reduce our consumption of raw materials. So why is waste recovery not a typical component of our infrastructure?

Pumpkin rotting on the ground, orange color, background or backdrop

Developing Biochar Markets in the Pacific Northwest

Biochar has the potential to provide a win-win for climate, soils, and forest health. Previous posts on the CSANR Perspectives in Sustainability blog have discussed the effects of integrating biochar with composting facilities, engineering biochars for specific applications, and potential for biochar use in Washington to draw down carbon dioxide. The Pacific Northwest is particularly suited…

Large wheel loader works on pile of woodchips. Large steel buildings and overhead conveyor in background.

Could Wood Plastic Composites Motivate More Investments in Climate-Friendly Anaerobic Digestion?

Picture this future scenario: it’s a hot summer day and you are sitting with some friends on their deck enjoying a cold beverage. You notice they recently replaced their deck and, interested, you ask about the decking material they used, only to find out that it’s made partially out of . . . manure from dairy cows! Surprised? Work done by researchers at Washington State University…

cows in barn

New publication tackles approaches to nutrient recovery from dairy manure

Building on our long-term efforts relating to dairy nutrient management, we now have a new publication that summarizes the various approaches being explored for nutrient recovery on dairies – and what we know about the current costs and performance that are associated with each strategy.  The publication, Approaches to Nutrient Recovery from Dairy Manure, was […]

Low angle of dairy cattle in feed aisle

Explore Anaerobic Digestion investment options before investing a cent! A Quick Introduction to the AD System Enterprise Budget Calculator

Gregory Astill, PhD Economics, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The views expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of the Economic Research Service or the USDA. Ever struggled with deciding whether to invest in new technology, and which of a range of technology options would be a better fit to […]

Green Energy in a Blue Context: Taking Water into Account

This year CSANR sponsored registration for several WSU students to attend Tilth Producers of WA annual conference.  We will be posting reflections written by the students over the next several weeks. Please feel free to comment and give these students your feedback. I am currently a graduate student at WSU earning a Master of Science […]