Profiting from Methane Removal

[HerefordSire]

I would be interested in figuring out a business idea to remove Methane from our atmosphere. The more far-fetched and unrealistic the idea, the better. Which commercial plants or animals produce the smallest amount of methane...and which produce the largest amount? Is there a contraption yet to be invented to economically capture methane that has not been invented yet for energy usage?


"Methane (CH4) is a principal component of natural gas. It is also formed and released to the atmosphere by biological processes occurring in anaerobic environments. Once in the atmosphere, methane absorbs terrestrial infrared radiation that would otherwise escape to space. This property can contribute to the warming of the atmosphere, which is why methane is a greenhouse gas.

Methane is about 21 times more powerful at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2) by weight (see box below). Methane's chemical lifetime in the atmosphere is approximately 12 years. Methane’s relatively short atmospheric lifetime, coupled with its potency as a greenhouse gas, makes it a candidate for mitigating global warming over the near-term (i.e., next 25 years or so)."



http://www.epa.gov/methane/scientific.html

 

[Jogeephus]

The more far-fetched and unrealistic the idea, the better.

Filling in the Everglades and selling the land as prime real estate would be a good money maker. Of course this would simply be stopping some of the methane at its source rather than capturing it. Of course, this type methane is different and isn't really figured into the data.

 

[HerefordSire]

The more far-fetched and unrealistic the idea, the better.

Filling in the Everglades and selling the land as prime real estate would be a good money maker. Of course this would simply be stopping some of the methane at its source rather than capturing it. Of course, this type methane is different and isn't really figured into the data.

We would be battling the same people for the Everglades project.

What plant or animal (if any) removes Methane from the atmosphere? Maybe a mushroom?

 

[Anonymous]

Did you ever stop and think...maybe we're not suppose to fix it?? Maybe, just maybe, it's all part of God's big plan!

 

[Nesikep]

as far as I know, there isn't anything that can capture methane... however, some algae *might*... honestly, the easiest way to get rid of methane is by burning it to CO2, which from what I can tell is less harmful

 

[Jogeephus]

I think mushrooms use oxygen like we do. They can break down a lot of little nasties but I'm pretty sure they ommit CO2.

Did you ever stop and think...maybe we're not suppose to fix it?? Maybe, just maybe, it's all part of God's big plan!

Good point! But if everyone believed this then there would be no money in green industries and greed and money is what oils the wheels of this industury that produces nothing.

HS, coming up with something that would strengthen the magnetosphere would be priceless. Since its strength has declined by 10% and is continuing to weaken each year. Not having to turn satellites off when they pass through the million square mile zone of space where the effects are seen the most would be worth some big bucks to someone. Of course this has nothing to do with the environment since the magnetosphere merely blocks the sun's rays before they pelt the earth and without its protective shield we will have a nice Mar's like landscape in the matter of minutes.

 

[Angus Cowman]

has anyone ever heard of the impact on our ozone everytime they launch the space shuttle

the gov't can tell us aout how we are supposed to live more green and that is fine they just need to set the example
and I know most of you don't agree with me but I think all the money we spend on space exploration is hust useless their is not one ting that has come out of it that we COULD NOT live with out yes it has give us some luxuries but nothing we have to have

 

[Anonymous]

has anyone ever heard of the impact on our ozone everytime they launch the space shuttle

the gov't can tell us aout how we are supposed to live more green and that is fine they just need to set the example
and I know most of you don't agree with me but I think all the money we spend on space exploration is hust useless their is not one ting that has come out of it that we COULD NOT live with out yes it has give us some luxuries but nothing we have to have

I couldn't agree more! Must be a Missouri thing...logical thinking that is

 

[grannysoo]

The more far-fetched and unrealistic the idea, the better.

I picture you in ballet slippers running in the meadow with a butterfly net catching all the nasty gas....

You asked for it! :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[HerefordSire]

Did you ever stop and think...maybe we're not suppose to fix it?? Maybe, just maybe, it's all part of God's big plan!

Good question and the answer is wholeheatedly yes. I believe mother nature should generally be left alone. However, this is not the case as the EPA is on the verge of charging me a $87 per head tax on cattle. The way I figure it, when gasoline was rising, I could gripe about it or I could finaacially hedge in a way to profit from the increase in the rise of fuel to offset the higher costs. Acting neutral about it loses buying power, such that my fuel costs are higher year over year after deducting fuel income. If the enviromental activist are going to cause me hardship, much like smoker taxes pave our roads, then I might as well use my God given brain to outsmart the environmentalists and the EPA. Don't you agree?

 

[HerefordSire]

as far as I know, there isn't anything that can capture methane... however, some algae *might*... honestly, the easiest way to get rid of methane is by burning it to CO2, which from what I can tell is less harmful

Good idea! I will look into commercial Algae production and report back. Can you think of a innovative way to capture methane so it can be burned efficiently for electricity or mechanical power, etc.?

 

[HerefordSire]

I think mushrooms use oxygen like we do. They can break down a lot of little nasties but I'm pretty sure they ommit CO2.

Did you ever stop and think...maybe we're not suppose to fix it?? Maybe, just maybe, it's all part of God's big plan!

Good point! But if everyone believed this then there would be no money in green industries and greed and money is what oils the wheels of this industury that produces nothing.

HS, coming up with something that would strengthen the magnetosphere would be priceless. Since its strength has declined by 10% and is continuing to weaken each year. Not having to turn satellites off when they pass through the million square mile zone of space where the effects are seen the most would be worth some big bucks to someone. Of course this has nothing to do with the environment since the magnetosphere merely blocks the sun's rays before they pelt the earth and without its protective shield we will have a nice Mar's like landscape in the matter of minutes.

Since you are a "tree" man what exactly does a tree do for our atmosphere? Please explain exactly what a magnetosphere is and some ideas to provide a solution you are after, as an example.

 

[HerefordSire]

has anyone ever heard of the impact on our ozone everytime they launch the space shuttle

the gov't can tell us aout how we are supposed to live more green and that is fine they just need to set the example
and I know most of you don't agree with me but I think all the money we spend on space exploration is hust useless their is not one ting that has come out of it that we COULD NOT live with out yes it has give us some luxuries but nothing we have to have

I was not aware of ozone damage as the result of space shuttle penetration. Interesting. Do as I say, not as I do. Reminds me of people that congregate negatively on Saturday night and then again on Sunday morning to ask for forgiveness.

 

[Angus Cowman]

has anyone ever heard of the impact on our ozone everytime they launch the space shuttle

the gov't can tell us aout how we are supposed to live more green and that is fine they just need to set the example
and I know most of you don't agree with me but I think all the money we spend on space exploration is hust useless their is not one ting that has come out of it that we COULD NOT live with out yes it has give us some luxuries but nothing we have to have

I was not aware of ozone damage as the result of space shuttle penetration. Interesting. Do as I say, not as I do. Reminds me of people that congregate negatively on Saturday night and then again on Sunday morning to ask for forgiveness.

was referring to the carbon monoxide from the fuel emissions not penetration

 

[HerefordSire]

The more far-fetched and unrealistic the idea, the better.

I picture you in ballet slippers running in the meadow with a butterfly net catching all the nasty gas....

You asked for it! :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Did you forget one imaginable aspect of me skipping through the yellow dandelion meadow?

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: Pink tights :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I guess I better have a closed butterfly net also, and then run to some type of container to empty it so the gas can be stored. :idea: :idea: :idea:

 

[HerefordSire]

I located one solution...now need to figure how to implement it to make money...according to the following text, clover, coconut, sunflower oil, etc. can lower methane production. This is a little exciting to me.



While analysing the genes, Attwood and his colleagues discovered the recipe for an enzyme that they believe breaks open chemical bonds unique to the methanogen cell wall. The enzyme originally belonged to a virus that infected the methanogen long ago, becoming incorporated into the microbes' genome as it evolved. Attwood's team has manufactured the enzyme and shown that it kills methanogens in vitro. "It's very exciting," says Attwood. Within the next six months, Attwood and his colleagues plan to test the enzyme in live animals.

The genome sequence is also being used to identify proteins that sit on the outer surface of M. ruminantium - the immune system can easily identify these proteins, making them ideal candidates for vaccines. Vaccinating animals against M. ruminantium has many benefits, not least that it is cheap to produce and could be given several times a year to livestock grazing in pastures.

This is not the first time an anti-methanogen vaccine has been tried. Four years ago, scientists in Australia developed an anti-methanogen vaccine that lowered methane production in sheep by almost 8 per cent compared with those that did not receive it. But the vaccine did not work in sheep from New Zealand, says Bryce Buddle, who leads the methanogen vaccine project at AgResearch. He says that this is probably because the methanogen strains in sheep from New Zealand and Australia are different.

Still, it was proof that a vaccine could work. Buddle is now testing a more sophisticated vaccine made from a mix of surface and intracellular M. ruminantium proteins. Though the mechanism of action is unclear, early lab tests have shown that the antibodies triggered in response to the vaccine can decrease methane production. He expects to test the vaccine in live animals within three years. Ultimately, he hopes that vaccinating cattle and sheep will decrease methane emissions by 20 to 30 per cent.

For animals that are kept mainly in sheds and not allowed to graze, methane emissions could be further reduced by changing their diet. Ermias Kebreab and his colleagues at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, have shown that grass-fed cattle typically produce 20 per cent more methane than those fed a mixture of grass and corn. Kebreab says that the addition of unsaturated fats like coconut and sunflower oil to their food could curb methane emissions by a further 20 per cent. The unsaturated oils serve as a sink for the hydrogen in the animal's gut - absorbing it before the methanogens can consume it - and produce hydrogenated fats which the animal can then store or digest for energy. Sunflower oil, for example, can lower methane by 21 per cent in cattle fed a high corn diet. The caveat to this approach, says Kebreab, is that the oils cannot exceed more than 5 per cent of the animal's total diet or it will stop eating the enriched food.

Legumes such as clover can also help to reduce methane levels in burps. The key seems to be the high level of tannins in the clover, says Jamie Newbold, an animal scientist at Aberystwyth University in the UK. Tannins, which give red wine its colour, are thought to slow the growth of methanogens, thus curbing methane production.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg2 ... ?full=true

 

[HerefordSire]

I guess I just may be a garlic farmer. Anyone walk around town with a string of garlic around their neck?


Scientists may have found a way to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of flatulent, belch-happy livestock: by adding garlic to their diet.

Livestock are responsible for nearly a fifth of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions -- as much as is produced by transportation. With global meat production expected to double by 2050, any method of cleaning them up could have a great impact.

(Yes, someone's bound to point out that we could simply stop eating meat. And they'll be right. But it's not going to happen anytime soon.)

To solve this problem, scientists are experimenting with a variety of gas-reducing feeds. They've found that compounds in garlic kill methane-producing bacteria found in livestock stomachs -- and researchers in Wales now report that a garlic extract added to the feed of cows and sheep cuts their methane emissions by half.

Livestock account for nearly 40 percent of global methane pollution. Methane is much less common than carbon dioxide, but also much more potent a climate changer; livestock methane emissions translate to roughly 7 percent of the world's greenhouse gas production.

If the math seems a little confusing, the bottom line is that halving livestock methane would shave several percentage points off our climate change footprint. But will garlic-fed cows taste good?

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007 ... -stop.html

 

[HerefordSire]

How to grow garlic:

OPTIMUM GROWING CONDITIONS
Cool conditions during growing season. Temperatures below 40F for 6 - 8 weeks required for vernalization. Once vernalized, bulbing initiates when day length exceeds 13 hrs and soil temperature exceeds 60oF. Adaptable to all areas able to produce onions.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/exte ... arlic.html

 

[HerefordSire]

Importing garlic from China may be less expensive than growing garlic here. Maybe this company can export to USA.

http://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/ilmloyzz

 

[Jogeephus]

Since you are a "tree" man what exactly does a tree do for our atmosphere? Please explain exactly what a magnetosphere is and some ideas to provide a solution you are after, as an example.

Trees, like all plants, will take in CO2 and store the carbon and release the O2 to the atmosphere. What is ironic is that the more CO2 you give the tree the faster the tree (or plant) will grow - to a point. The faster they grow the more C they will store and the more O2 they will release. If you want to really throw a twist on things, you can look back at the CO2 levels during the age of dinosaurs. CO2 levels at this time were many many many times higher than they are now and was responsible for the lush plant growth which supplied nurishment for these big animals. Now for another twist. I stated they will grow fast to a point. What I mean by this is that as with all living things there is a life cycle which ends with death. Young organisms grow faster till their maturity. Same with trees. When a tree is young, it grows faster than something that is mature. This fast growth will absorb more CO2 and produce more O2 than an old tree. In light of this fact, you would think these eco freaks would want to practice conservation rather than preservaton since old growth mature forests are actually not healthy for the atmosphere. But that's different right?

Anyhow, while I don't buy their figures on methane sources, I will say this. The problem I see with methane collection is that it is produced by so many sources. From termites, the forest duff in old growth stands of timber, rice cultivation, organic farming, cattle, people, and many many natural sources which are so spread out it would be nearly impossible economically collect enough to make any difference with the exception being the concentration spots like landfills and wastewater treatment facilities.

To your question of the magnetosphere, this link will explain it beter than I can.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetosph ... netosphere

But essentially, it is what makes your compass point north. It is a magnetic sphere which is a shield that protects earth from the harmful rays of the sun. Data shows it is weakening and is only at 90% of what it used to be. (probably due to Al Gore's gas guzzling jet) At the moment, there is a large section of space where electronics in satellites will be fried if they are not turned off when they pass through this zone. When the magnetosphere loses its strength, earth as we know it will be gone. Oceans will vaporize in a matter of minutes and life as we know it will be over. We will be much like Mars. Mars, used to have a magnetosphere too.

I think it is ironic that I had a course in college that dealt with economics, politics, ethics, religion and the environment. In this course we studied how issues could be created for the sole purpose of financial gain. How facts could be distorted and the sheeple manipulated toward a politcal end. Since I was - at the time - a nieve idealist, I pretty much blew the course off since I could not fathom people being so greedy that they would intentionally mislead people in this manner. While I'm no longer an idealist, it still amazes me to actually see this being done in such a widespread manner under this so called green movement. Needless to say I don't buy it. Green Movement or not, I will plant a little over a million trees this year and if some idiot wants to pay me $15 per tree to plant trees to save the planet I'll be more than happy to take this idiot's money. But I'm not going to go out and solicit their money under the guise of saving the planet. I am a conservationist not a preservationist.

Nevetheless, since my fear of the magnetosphere losing its strength is only trumped by my fear of a big a$$ asteroid hitting the earth, my solution is simple. Don't worry about it. There is nothing we can do about it. Its all in God's hands and I'm pretty sure he knows what he's doing.