Using Waste, Swedish City Cuts Its Fossil Fuel Use (extra credit by Clarence Jackson)

Today, there are growing concerns over the burning of fossil fuels and the deadly emissions they release into the air. With the increased concerned of the effects of burning fossil fuels, Kristianstad, Sweden has turned to using manure, potatoes, cow intestines and other wastes to form biogas, a form of methane. The methane is then burned and used to heat about 80,000 homes in Kristianstad and the surrounding area. In addition to heating homes, the biogas can be used for electricity or refined fuel for cars. Since using the biogas, the city’s carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by one-quarter in the last decade. The continued reduction of carbon dioxide is a definite advantage in the constant struggle of global warming. With a decrease of the carbon dioxide emissions, Kristianstad has taken steps to limit the pollution problems all humans face today. In the United States today there are 151 biomass digesters, mainly using manure and other wastes from small farms. The United States has not developed the biogas system mostly because of the high costs and the lack of support from the government. Burning the biogas does release emissions into the air. However, the emissions are fewer than burning coal or oil would release. Wisconsin and California have pushed to create biogas plants for local farms. Today, different cities could benefit from the use of biogas fuel. Using biogas fuel emits fewer emissions than burning the common used oil and coal. Because there is growing concern over global warming, the manure and other wastes that would just decompose and still release emissions in the air are now being put to use as a burnable form of energy. Therefore, using biogas makes manure and other wastes useful. Today, new sources of energy, such as burning biogas, have been developed to help the growing problem of air pollution, a cause of global warming. hal, Elisabeth. "Using Waste, Swedish City Cuts Its Fossil Fuel Use." New York Times. 10 Dec. 2010. Web. 12 Dec. 2010.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/science/earth/11fossil.html>.