Tapping into the energy potential of food and farm waste is just being realized. The US department of agriculture has recently released the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap, an explanation of how the waste currently adding to greenhouse gas emissions could be repurposed as a major resource for energy to open a $2.9 billion market. The number refers to the market potential for recovering biogas from 9 million tons of manure annually, from 4 million dairy cows.
When organisms eat food, like cows, or when food decomposes methane gas is released. Until now methane gas just floats into the atmosphere and contributes aggressively to global warming. Methane gas can be burned and used as fuel, if the methane is captured before it goes into the atmosphere, it can be recycled, and used for energy, which minimizes emissions, and adds a new resource for energy.
