<br>Growing Power Hairy Hills Biorefinery Selects - Images by Jimmy Jeong

I had the opportunity to spend a day with Bern Kotelko, whose family owns Highland Feeders near Vegreville, Alberta. They have a 36,000 head of cattle feedlot and are now building a bio refinery to turn all that manure into energy. Once his 100-million dollar venture is complete, they will be able to power a town the size of Vegreville, population 5,500.

"When the plant is completed, Mr. Kotelko expects it will take 80 per cent of his manure, enough to power a town the size of Vegreville, population 5,500, which lies 20 kilometres to the south. Mr. Kotelko insists the process also solves the tricky economics of ethanol fuel, whose production typically eats up a lot of external energy. In his model, biogas from the feedlot will also power an ethanol refinery on the site, providing big energy savings. The refinery, using cattle-feed wheat as an input, will also turn out distillers' grains that go back to the feedlot for cattle nourishment. Thus, the plant operates as a closed loop – from manure to energy to cattle feed back to manure."

—from the Globe and Mail Story http://bit.ly/b4UFa0

I really hope this type of innovation continues. What do you think? Does our future lie in poop?

BTW, I'm trying out this new slide show gallery option. It allows you to see a large full screen version. You can also embed the gallery on your own site.