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According to “breakthrough” new research, funded by a clutch of consumer goods firms, French scientists have discovered a plastic-eating enzyme they claim could offer an innovative recycling solution for millions of tonnes of toxic plastic waste material.

http://econews.com.au/64104/mutant-enzyme-created-by-scientists-recycles-plastic-bottles-in-hours/

CORONAVIRUS FREE ZONE PLEASE (unless it relates to good news about the environment)

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I miss reading your articles Incognito, they are too long for me these days I am plodding along with simple things to read.  Wish you could read them for me!  LOL

 

 

Sorry to hear Celia, but just reading the first part is always informative. Think the cow one is interesting below, who would have thought they could train cows to go to the toilet lol.

 

We managed to toilet train cows (and they learned faster than a toddler). It could help combat climate changeBy The Conversation via Reuters Connect SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

 

By Douglas Elliffe, a professor of psychology at the University of Auckland, and Lindsay Matthews, an honorary academic at the Psychology Department of the University of Auckland.

Can we toilet train cattle? Would we want to?

The answer to both of these questions is yes — and doing so could help us address issues of water contamination and climate change. Cattle urine is high in nitrogen, and this contributes to a range of environmental problems.

When cows are kept mainly outdoors, as they are in New Zealand and Australia, the nitrogen from their urine breaks down in the soil. This produces two problematic substances: nitrate and nitrous oxide.

Nitrate from urine patches leaches into lakes, rivers and aquifers (underground pools of water contained by rock) where it pollutes the water and contributes to the excessive growth of weeds and algae.

Nitrous oxide is a long-lasting greenhouse gas which is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It accounts for about 12% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, and much of this comes from the agricultural sector.

When cows are kept mainly in barns, as is the case in Europe and North America, another polluting gas — ammonia — is produced when the nitrogen from urine mixes with faeces on the barn floor.

However, if some of the urine produced by cattle could be captured and treated, the nitrogen it contains could be diverted, and the environmental impacts reduced. But how might urine capture be achieved?

We worked on this problem with collaborators from Germany’s Federal Research Institute for Animal Health and Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology. Our research is published today in the journal Current Biology. It forms part of our colleague Neele Dirksen’s PhD thesis.

In our research project, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, we applied principles from behavioural psychology to train young cattle to urinate in a particular place — that is, to use the “toilet”.

Behavioural psychology tells us a behaviour is likely to be repeated if followed by a reward, or “reinforcer”. That’s how we train a dog to come when called.

So if we want to encourage a particular behaviour, such as urinating in a particular place, we should reinforce that behaviour. For our project we applied this idea in much the same way as for toilet training children, using a procedure called “backward chaining”.

First, the calves were confined to the toilet area, a latrine pen, and reinforced with a preferred treat when they urinated. This established the pen as an ideal place to urinate.

The calves were then placed in an alley outside the pen, and once again reinforced for entering the pen and urinating there. If urination began in the alley, it was discouraged by a mildly unpleasant spray of water.

After optimising the training, seven out of the eight calves we trained learned to urinate in the latrine pen — and they learned about as quickly as human children do.

The calves received only 15 days of training and the majority learned the full set of skills within 20 to 25 urinations, which is quicker than the toilet-training time for three- and four-year-old children.

This showed us two things that weren’t known before.

cattle can learn to attend to their own urination reflex, because they moved to the pen when ready to use itcattle will learn to withhold urination until they’re in the right place, if they’re rewarded for doing so.

Our research is a proof of concept. Cattle can be toilet trained, and without much difficulty. But scaling up the method for practical application in agriculture involves two further challenges, which will be the focus in the next stage of our project.

First, we need a way both to detect urination in the latrine pen and deliver reinforcement automatically — without human intervention.

This is probably no more than a technical problem. An electronic sensor for urination wouldn’t be difficult to develop, and small amounts of attractive rewards could be provided in the pen.

Apart from this, we’ll also need to determine the optimal location and number of latrine pens needed. This is a particularly challenging issue in countries such as New Zealand, where cattle spend most of their time in open paddocks rather than barns.

Part of our future research will require understanding how far cattle are willing to walk to use a pen. And more needs to be done to understand how to best use this technique with animals in both indoor and outdoor farming contexts.

What we do know is that nitrogen from cattle urine contributes to both water pollution and climate change, and these effects can be reduced by toilet training cattle.

The more urine we can capture, the less we’ll need to reduce cattle numbers to meet emissions targets — and the less we’ll have to compromise on the availability of milk, butter, cheese and meat from cattle.

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Potty trained cows ... interesting, thanks Incognito.

 

Thank you, Incognito.

A very interesting and important report.

I believe that urine  (and perhaps faeces)can be used to create alternate sources of power.

 

Axel - You are right there about the faeces used for heating power, the poorer Indians have been using cow pats for heating for centuries. 

 

Five environmental partners celebrated the largest dam removal in Kentucky’s history last week, which will not only restore biodiversity and improve ecosystems but also prevent deadly accidents in the future.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered with The Nature Conservancy, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, and Kentucky Waterways Alliance to push for the removal of lock and dam No. 5 from the Green River near Roundhill.

The Green River is one of the most biodiverse rivers in the country. It is home to more than 150 fish species, more than 70 mussel species and 43 endemic species that exist nowhere else in the world. Aquatic species include nine endangered mussel species, one endangered fish, and one endangered freshwater shrimp—the Kentucky cave shrimp.

Officials at a ceremony September 20 extolled the benefits of the dam removal that will make the river safer for people, healthier for fish and mussels, and an economic boon to local communities.

“We are excited to partner with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy on the removal of Green River Lock and Dam 5,” said Louisville District Commander Col. Eric Crispino during the ceremony. “This project will restore the natural flow to this portion of the Green River, the most environmentally diverse river in the inland navigation system, as well as support our ecosystem restoration mission.”

RELATEDThe Hoover Dam Could Soon Be Turned into a ‘Giant Battery’ for Renewable Energy

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continues to lead the $4.6 million project where crews have been deconstructing the structures on site since June 2021. Work is expected to be completed in October, and The Nature Conservancy will take ownership of the site.

“Removing Lock and Dam number five on the Green River is a really big deal,” said David Phemister, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Kentucky. “This is not just an ecological victory, but this is really a victory for river access and the local economies. We’re committed to working with the local community, Butler County and others to make sure this is a public park accessible to all.”

Green River Lock and Dam No. 5 was built in 1933-34 for commercial use, but the Army Corps ceased operation of the structure in 1951 due to it no longer being needed. The structure has stood unused for 70 years, creating a pooled condition in the river with lower oxygen levels, more sediment and higher temperatures—all issues for aquatic life and the overall health of the river. The dam also presents a barrier to boat traffic and recreation, with no portage or bypass options.

POPULARSalmon Spawning for the First Time in 80 Years in the Upper Columbia River

Once the dam is removed, it will restore free-flowing conditions to 73 miles of the Green River.

Conservation Groups Celebrate Dam Removal on Green River – Restoring Health of Fish and Humans After 70 Years 

There are many Green River species that thrive in moving water. These include many aquatic insects that serve as food for foraging bats, including three bat species that are endangered.

It will also improve safety and access for recreational canoeists and kayakers and overall fishery including highly sought-after gamefish such as smallmouth bass, rock bass, and muskellunge.

MOREOnce Left For Dead, The Aral Sea Is Now Brimming With Life Thanks to Global Collaboration

“This project illustrates the concepts of partnerships and revolutionizing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, two priorities of the Chief of Engineers,” Crispino said. “The Louisville District is proud to be part of the partnership and we look forward to seeing the Green River free flowing again soon.”

 

Why can't Australia do something like this? We could have taken our lost car industry and transformed it!

 

Ford Announces ‘Transformative’ $11.4 Billion Investment in New Electric Vehicle Plants in Tennessee and Kentucky Oct 4, 2021  Fac

Ford just announced it is spending $11.4 billion to build two new factories in Tennessee and Kentucky to manufacture batteries and its electric F-series pickup trucks.

Together, they’ll create over 11,000 jobs, and the Tennessee factory will be Ford’s largest ever—and its first new American vehicle-assembly plant in decades.

“This is a transformative moment where Ford will lead America’s transition to electric vehicles and usher in a new era of clean, carbon-neutral manufacturing,” said Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford. “With this investment and a spirit of innovation, we can achieve goals once thought mutually exclusive—protect our planet, build great electric vehicles Americans will love, and contribute to our nation’s prosperity.”

This news comes amid strong demand for the all-new Ford F-150 Lightning truck, E-Transit, and Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles, and is on top of Ford’s recent announcement to expand production capacity and add jobs at the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan.

“This is our moment—our biggest investment ever—to help build a better future for America,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “We are moving now to deliver breakthrough electric vehicles for the many rather than the few. It’s about creating good jobs that support American families, an ultra-efficient, carbon-neutral manufacturing system, and a growing business that delivers value for communities, dealers and shareholders.”

Ford’s $7 billion investment is the largest ever manufacturing investment at one time by any automotive manufacturer in the U.S.

Part of Ford’s more-than-$30 billion investment in electric vehicles through 2025, this investment supports the company’s longer-term goal to create a sustainable American manufacturing ecosystem, and to accelerate its progress towards achieving carbon neutrality, backed by science-based targets in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. Overall, Ford expects 40% to 50% of its global vehicle volume to be fully electric by 2030.

“We are proud to be partnering with Ford as they open a new chapter in automobile history,” said Dongseob Jee, president of battery business SK Innovation. “We are excited to be taking this decisive leap together, as partners, and to bring about our common vision for a cleaner planet. Our joint venture, BlueOvalSK, will embody this spirit of collaboration. We look forward to growing our trust-based partnership by delivering on our market-leading value proposition, experience and cutting-edge expertise.”

All-new Ford Blue Oval City

Reimagining how electric vehicles—and the batteries that power them—are designed, manufactured, and recycled, Ford is creating an all-new electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystem.

Blue Oval City will be among the largest auto manufacturing campuses in U.S. history. Like the iconic Rouge complex in Michigan did a century earlier, Blue Oval City will usher in a new era for American manufacturing.

MORE: Long-lasting Solid-state Lithium Battery From Harvard May Solve a 40-year Problem

The 3,600-acre campus covering nearly six square miles will encompass vehicle assembly, battery production. and a supplier park in a vertically integrated system that delivers cost efficiency while minimizing the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process. The assembly plant will use always-on cloud-connected technologies to drive vast improvements in quality and productivity. The mega campus is designed to add more sustainability solutions, including the potential to use local renewable energy sources such as geothermal, solar, and wind power.

“West Tennessee is primed to deliver the workforce and quality of life needed to create the next great American success story with Ford Motor Company and SK Innovation,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “This is a watershed moment for Tennesseans as we lead the future of the automotive industry and advanced manufacturing.”

Creating approximately 6,000 jobs, Blue Oval City will be a hive of technical innovation to build next-generation electric F-Series trucks. This growth opportunity will allow Ford to reach new customers with an expanded electric truck lineup.

Bigger assembly plant, smaller environmental impact

Despite its size, the assembly plant at Blue Oval City is designed to have as minimal an impact as possible on the surrounding environment—and even to generate positive impacts. The assembly plant’s goal is to have a regenerative impact on the local environment through biomimicry in design of the facility.

From the start of production in 2025, Ford’s goal is for the assembly plant to be carbon neutral.
Through an on-site wastewater treatment plant, the assembly plant aspires to make zero freshwater withdrawals for assembly processes by incorporating water reuse and recycling systems. Zero-waste-to-landfill processes will capture materials and production scrap at an on-site materials collection center to sort and route materials for recycling or processing either at the plant or at off-site facilities once the plant is operational.

CHECK OUT: Daimler Trucks is Now Accepting Orders for All-Electric Freight Trucks, Having Tested Them on America’s Highways

Ford is collaborating with Redwood Materials, a leading battery materials company, to make electric vehicles more sustainable and affordable for Americans by localizing the supply chain network, creating recycling options for scrap and end-of-life vehicles, and ramping up lithium-ion recycling.

BlueOvalSK Battery Park

Joining the Ford electric manufacturing revolution is a planned $5.8 billion, 1,500-acre BlueOvalSK battery manufacturing campus in Glendale, Kentucky, which is targeted to open in 2025.

Twin co-located plants will be capable of producing up to 43 gigawatt hours each for a total of 86 gigawatt hours annually. Together, these American-made batteries will power next-generation electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

RELATED: The Best Selling Truck in the US, the Ford F-150, Has Gone Electric 

Bringing 5,000 new jobs to Kentucky, BlueOvalSK Battery Park will be centrally located to support Ford’s North American assembly plants’ footprint.

“We thank Ford Motor Company and SK Innovation for their investment in Team Kentucky,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. “This is the single largest investment in the history of our state and this project solidifies our leadership role in the future of the automotive manufacturing industry. It will transform our economy, creating a better Kentucky, with more opportunities, for our families for generations. Our time is now. Our future is now.”

 

Q – why Australia could not have done something like this?

A – government dominated by dullard knuckle draggers, with little strategic foresight, primarily focussed on grubby politics and retaining power, the short term electoral cycle and apathetic Australian voters.

Full Battery Charge in 15 Minutes: World’s Fastest Electric Car Charger is Launched   

ABB has launched an innovative all-in-one Electric Vehicle charger which provides the fastest charging experience on the world market.

The new Terra 360 is a modular charger which can simultaneously charge up to four vehicles with dynamic power distribution. This means that drivers will not have to wait if somebody else is already charging ahead of them. They simply pull up to another plug.

The new charger has a maximum output of 360 kW and is capable of fully charging any electric car in 15 minutes or less, meeting the needs of a variety of EV users, whether they need a fast charge or to top their battery up while grocery shopping.

“With governments around the world writing public policy that favors electric vehicles and charging networks to combat climate change, the demand for EV charging infrastructure, especially charging stations that are fast, convenient and easy to operate is higher than ever,” said Frank Muehlon, President of ABB’s E-mobility Division. “The Terra 360, with charging options that fit a variety of needs, is the key to fulfilling that demand and accelerating e-mobility adoption globally.”

“It’s an exciting day for ABB, who as the global leader in electric vehicle fast charging, is playing a key role in enabling a low carbon society,” said Theodor Swedjemark, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at ABB in a statement. “With road transport accounting for nearly a fifth of global CO2 emissions, e-mobility is critical to achieving the Paris climate goal. We will also lead by example by switching our entire fleet of more than 10,000 vehicles to non-emitting vehicles.”

Available in Europe from the end of 2021, and in the USA, Latin America, and Asia Pacific regions in 2022, Terra 360 is designed with the daily needs and expectations of EV drivers in mind.

RELATED: German Company Makes Concrete to Charge Electric Vehicles From Roads With 95% Efficiency and Low Cost

Its innovative lighting system guides the user through the charging process and shows the State of Charge (SoC) of the EV battery and the residual time before the end of an optimal charge session. The world’s fastest EV charger is also wheelchair accessible and features an ergonomic cable management system that helps drivers plug in quickly with minimal effort.

As well as serving the needs of private EV drivers at fueling stations, convenience stores, and retail locations, Terra 360 chargers can also be installed on an organization’s commercial premises to charge electric fleet cars, vans, and trucks.

This gives owners the flexibility to charge up to four vehicles overnight or to give a quick refill to their EVs in the day. Because Terra 360 chargers have a small footprint, they can be installed in small depots or parking lots where space is at a premium.

Terra 360 chargers are fully customizable. To personalize the appearance, customers can ‘brand’ the chargers by using different foiling or changing the color of the LED light strips. There is also the option to include an integrated 27” advertisement screen to play video and pictures.

ABB entered the e-mobility market back in 2010, and today has sold more than 460,000 electric vehicle chargers across more than 88 markets.

The promise of unprecedented charging speeds on the near-horizon makes the heralding of a real electric car revolution feel that bit closer.

Uplifting TV Series ‘Earthshot’ With David Attenborough Documents the Repairing of Our Planet   

A new five-part television series led by Prince William is being launched globally: Featuring Sir David Attenborough, Shakira, and other big names in conservation, you’ll want to add The Earthshot Prize: Repairing our Planet to your schedules.

Each episode of the five-part series highlights one of the Prize’s five “Earthshots”— showcasing the urgent challenges we face and profiling the inspiring people around the world who are already finding incredible solutions—including those of the first-ever Finalists of grand prize.

These remarkable Finalists and their ground-breaking solutions to our greatest environmental challenges are explored—highlighting some of the most extraordinary practical projects that can be rolled out across the world.

Already launched on discovery+ and premiering on 16th October on Discovery in U.S with a global rollout to follow, the series will also air on BBC One in the UK with all 5 episodes available to view on BBC iPlayer.

Filming has been taking place in more than 70 locations, telling stories from locations including the Kenyan savannah, Brazilian rainforest, Australian outback, and downtown Tokyo.

Each Earthshot is underpinned by scientifically agreed targets including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other internationally recognized measures to help repair our planet.

CHECK OUT: ‘The Year Earth Changed’: Uplifting Wildlife Documentary With David Attenborough Heralds Earth Day–WATCH

Together, they form a unique set of challenges rooted in science, which aim to generate new ways of thinking, as well as new technologies, systems, policies, and solutions.

Some of the contenders featured include Coral Vita, Bahamas: A truly cutting-edge breakthrough in coral farming that can restore our world’s dying  coral reefs; AEM Electrolyser, Thailand: An ingenious green hydrogen technology developed to transform how we power our homes and buildings; and more.

ALSO LOOKThe Mind-Blowing Mathematics of Snowflakes

According to a statement, the series has been developed and produced by Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes at Silverback Films; the creative heads behind the phenomenally successful documentary David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet and long-time advisors to The Earthshot Prize.

 

SEARCH YOUTUBE FOR TRAILER

If We Put Solar Panels on Top of Airports, We Could Power Entire Cities

This country could do it and supply energy to 136,000 homes per year.

 mount evans and solar panels at denver international airport Scientists in Australia have determined that solar grids—installed on top of the country's government-owned airports—could annually supply 136,000 homes with power.Because commercial roofs are flat, they're more efficient for solar arrays than angled residential roofs.Australia is a sunny country with great solar potential, but it's possible that the same concept could take off in the U.S., too.

Airports aren't surrounded by trees—they're (mostly) surrounded by wide-open spaces, replete with sunlight. Now imagine those airports' rooftops, bejeweled with solar panel arrays.

This isn't a fantasy vision of a green tech future, but the subject of new research at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University).

There, scientists have incorporated real-world data into a software program. The results, published in the Journal of Building Engineering, show that if Australia installed solar panels on top of all 21 of its government-owned airports, the country could produce an estimated 466 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of electrical energy each year. That's enough to power about 136,000 homes per year.

"Australia is facing an energy crisis, yet our solar energy resources—such as airport rooftops—are being wasted," Chayn Sun, senior lecturer at RMIT, and one of the scientists involved in the new research, said in a prepared statement. "Harnessing this power source would avoid 63 kilotons of coal being burned in Australia each year, an important step towards a zero-carbon future."

aerial views of sydney as australia sees steady decline in new coronavirus casesScientists studied how they could fit flat airport roofs, seen here at Sydney Airport, with solar panels.How did the scientists come up with these figures? First, they combined all the roof real estate data for Australia's 21 federal airports, arriving at a total of 2.61 square kilometers of available space. Then, they compared the amount of energy the country could conceivably generate with solar panels on these commercial roofs, versus the amount of energy currently generated with solar panels in residential areas.

Because residential roofs are usually built at an angle—creating slanted structures that are prone to shadows from trees and other structures—they can be tricky for ample solar collection. Commercial roofs, meanwhile, are usually flat and unobstructed. In fact, the RMIT scientists found solar panels installed on commercial roofs could collect 10 times more energy than those installed on residential roofs.

Not likely to happen in Australia --- they will cover and destroy acres and acres of vegetation and wildlife.

Denmark Is Cleverly Repurposing Old Wind Turbine Blades as Bike Shelters

Looking to combine their passion for cycling and environmentalism, the always eco-thinking Danes are taking their old wind turbine blades and upcycling them into bike shelters.

90% of the population owns a bike. Furthermore, a third of all Danes ride a bike to work at least one time a week, while a quarter of all trips less than 3.5 miles are by bike. With so many cyclists, bike lockup shelters are a much needed feature of the Danish city and townscape.

Turbine blades must endure serious forces contending with the wind, and the first and second generation turbines featured blades made of advanced composite materials like fiberglass, foams, and resins.

This makes them impossible to recycle, and for some years as early wind turbines are gradually having more and more blades decommissioned, warnings about the impending waste have been growing.

Far from the polluting species we were in the past, methods for recycling the unrecyclable turbine blades are already being hypothesized by scientists and advocates like those at Re-Wind Network—who see the approaching 40 million tons of unrecyclable turbine blades as an opportunity.

MORE: Steelworkers Union is Helping Turn Massive Abandoned Steel Mill into Producer of Wind Turbines

This advocacy group has published papers in several journals looking at how the rigid blades can successfully be deployed in a wide variety of construction and infrastructure projects, from the aforementioned bike shelters which they constructed in Aalborg, to structural reinforcement, pedestrian footbridges, and traffic guard rails.

Siemens Gamesa

In one instance, they found a 100-meter wind turbine blade could be used as roofing material for a 40 square-meter home.

In another they found that a C96 wind turbine blade’s resistance to torsion, shear, bend, and other effects from ice, extreme wind, fire, and vehicular collision meet the safety requirements for a powerline support pole.

Siemens Gamesa, a major international supplier of wind turbines, have announced their new blades will be fully recyclable.

RELATED: Retired Wind Turbine Blades Get Turned into Bridges and Reinforced Concrete

“The time to tackle climate emergency is now, and we need to do it in a holistic way. In pioneering wind circularity—where elements contribute to a circular economy of the wind industry—we have reached a major milestone in a society that puts care for the environment at its heart,” states Andreas Nauen, CEO of Siemens Gamesa.

Evidently the need for groups like Re-Wind Network will be limited, but it’s a testament to the growing maturity of society at large that just because something is new and innovative, the impact it has on the environment will surely be measured.

I think they would also make great bus shelters or even sheds in the back yard.

Thats what WA could do with Bush shelters over here.

World’s First Totally-Green Tractor Set to Plow Down European Farming Emissions AUGA

An enormous amount of the world’s emissions are generated by our food systems, so an agricultural technology firm in Lithuania moved to tackle the largest definitive source by introducing the world’s first totally-green tractor.

Big engines, massive torque, big heavy tires, and hardly ever leaving third gear means fossil fuels from farm machinery are a massive contributor to agricultural emissions, and AUGA Group’s biomethane-electric hybrid tractor will go a long way towards reducing them.

AUGA is Europe’s largest vertically integrated organic food producer, and the AUGA M1 is the first of its kind, designed as a hybrid to ensure that farmers can run from sunup to sundown.

“Three years ago, when we first calculated our emissions, we saw that as much as 30 per cent of them come from the use of fossil fuels on farms,” stated AUGA CEO K?stutis Juš?ius.

“There were simply no solutions to change it. That is why we have taken the lead in developing technologies that will allow us to create a new standard for sustainable agriculture and drastically reduce pollution throughout the food value chain. The first result of this work is a biomethane and electric tractor.”

Rather than run only on biomethane as other green tractors, the addition of an electric motor powered by internal combustion from the biomethane and battery storage to save power during low-demand tasks, allows for many hours of additional use.

More clever than it looks

Biomethane was specifically targeted as a desired fuel source as it’s one of the greenest biofuels. The cool part about it is that it’s generated from livestock waste which farmers may need to dispose of. Livestock waste is a large contributor of methane: a more potent, but largely harmless greenhouse gas.

RELATED: Irrigation System Talks to Plants to Find Out When they Need Water — Cutting Water Use by 30-50%

One of the reasons it’s largely harmless is that unlike CO2, if one reduces methane emissions by an amount, say 10,000 tons, the concentrations of methane in the atmosphere immediately shift to reflect that reduction, while a similar reduction in CO2 has no effect whatsoever on its atmospheric greenhouse concentrations.

Therefore by turning the manure into biomethane fuel, it’s having a direct pound for pound reduction in emissions.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the biomethane fuel, the M1 is designed to accommodate larger, specialized canisters, which the company offers a refueling service for.

The tractor is set to enter production in its native Lithuania next year and will come with a top speed of around eight miles per hour. Running for twelve hours, it produces net zero emissions, while just one M1 on a farm will reduce a farmer’s carbon footprint by 100 tons per year.

MORE: In World First, Top Beef Supplier Approves Methane-Busting Feed Additive That Reduces Gas by 55%

“Our invention makes it possible to create a wide range of tractor applications and make it accessible to all farmers who want to work sustainably,” added Juš?ius. “We are not developing technology just to solve our own emissions and deliver on the promise of becoming a CO2-neutral company by 2030. Our goal is bigger—we will strive to make this tractor and other technologies that are still being developed available to farmers all over the world and help solve the global problem of pollution in the agricultural sector.”

Big engines, massive torque, big heavy tires, and hardly ever leaving third gear means fossil fuels from farm machinery are a massive contributor to agricultural emissions, and AUGA Group’s biomethane-electric hybrid tractor will go a long way towards reducing them.

Another great initiative, thanks Incognito.

I do hope that Incognito is ok?  We have not heard from him/her for some time.

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