Bizarre Alternative Sources of Energy

BIZARRE ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY Cows Dirty Nappies Alcohol On average every child will use between 6,500 – 10,000 diapers Cattle, in particular cows, release a In 2006, Swedish national lot of the gases which cause customs service confiscated global warming, however, these gases also hold the potential to before they begin potty training, if approximately 185,000 gallons of you then take into account that it takes hundreds of years for alcohol which was being illegally smuggled across the border. disposable diapers to decompose, Instead of disposing of it they be used as a natural source of power. So if we could harvest and use this gas, we would essentially it's clear that we have a big decided to convert the alcohol be killing two birds with one problem. But don't worry, a into usable bio-gas. This produced stone. Argentina's National Institute of Agricultural solution has been found! One enough gas to power over 1,000 company had the idea for turning trucks and busses. The Swedish this landfill waste into synthetic Technology has recently created a project where they have placed plastic backpacks on cows and customs agency intends to diesel fuel. A diaper recycling continue using this method with plant has even been set up in the UK which will get 100% of its any future seized alcohol, inserted tubes into their rumens. They extracted approximately 300 litres of methane a day from therefore giving them an effective, although not entirely sustainable, source of renewable energy. power from the organic materials in disposable diapers. the cows, enough to run a fridge for 24 hours. Gyms Balloons Jellyfish Rather than using large, costly solar panels, one company had An interesting new way of creating a clean energy source is the conversion of human energy The glow of a Jellyfish is produced by a green florescent protein which, when placed onto the idea to use balloons. One half into usable electricity in gyms. is made of metalized plastic films aluminium electrodes and whilst the other is transparent, exposed to UV light, can release electrons which produce Some gyms have already implemented this technology and the energy generated on exercise bikes and cross-trainers is being allowing the light to be passed through and collected on the electricity. Since discovering this concave interior. The design is protein, scientists have now extremely simple and because of its low cost nature, provides the opportunity to generate electricity as cheaply as we do natural gas. used to power the lighting and learned how to produce a machines on site. At least it's an biological fuel cell using a mixture of chemicals and this protein, effective way to make people work harder! without the need for the UV light. They can therefore derive a natural source of electricity from the Jellyfish. Coffee Grounds Wave Snakes Breathing Coffee grounds have been found Wave Snakes are an effective way An inventor named João Paulo to contain as much as 20% oil of taking advantage of the natural Lammoglia has created a gadget which allows you to charge your which is roughly the same as up-and-down motion and endless mobile, iPod or any small supply of waves in the open sea. The first one has already been installed in Aguçadoura, Portugal many common biodiesel feed stocks. Biofuel made from coffee electronic device, with your breathing. Whether you're out for a run or even just sleeping, by grounds would have a dual purpose, as well as reducing and at peak output is predicted to waste, it's been estimated that all attaching this mask to your face you can harness the energy produced from your breathing into usable energy to charge your generate 2.25 megawatts, of the worlds wasted coffee enough to cater to the needs of grounds would be able to yield approximately 2.9 million gallons of diesel fuel each year if approximately 1,500 family homes. various devices. reprocessed. The Power of People Kites Body Heat A number of initiatives are already The wind of the earth's An innovative way to take advantage of the excessive heat produced by being crammed into a tube or metro full of people, is troposphere is an energy resource in place which successfully harness the kinetic energy which exceeds the current needs created by large groups of people. In Tokyo, piezoelectric floor pads have been placed in of the world, so the obvious question was, how do we manage to harvest that heat and convert it to use it? Well, the solution has into usable energy. In Stockholm, a company based across the road from the central station, passes all areas where pedestrians are more been found in the form of Kites. likely to tread, such as underneath Connecting a kite with two ropes of the built up body heat through a ventilation system which then feeds the heating in their building. In London, a similar project is ticket turnstiles in stations. The and at a high enough altitude will world's first sustainable dance generate energy at ground level club has also been opened in the Netherlands where the LED lights which can be turned into electric power. The kites can reach a are powered by the kinetic higher altitude than wind turbines underway, they intend to heat energy created by the dancers. where the wind is far stronger and over 500 homes in Islington with more consistent. power generated from the Underground. Bugs Geysers Rain Scientists have managed to In Northern California they have The theory behind generating genetically modify bugs so that when they eat agricultural waste, already created the largest complex of geothermal power electricity from rain involves placing sensor pads on roofs they excrete crude oil. Not only is plants in the world. Taking this a natural, renewable source of advantage of the geothermal resources available from living so which would then convert the power of each raindrop into kinetic energy. The best part close to tectonic plate boundaries, about this invention is you'd no energy, it is also carbon negative. his means that the amount of these plants currently generate one fifth of the green power carbon sucked out of the air by longer have to dread the rain! Combine it with solar energy and the raw materials that the bugs feed off, exceeds the amount that produced in the whole of you'd have the potential for the bugs will excrete. California. almost unlimited free power. GB Sources: makeuseof.com businessinsider.com positivenews.org.uk smallfootprintfamily.com webecoist.momtastic.com energy science.howstuffworks.com solaripedia.com news.discovery.com www.gbenergysupply.co.uk