The Denver Zoo's Poo-Powered Rickshaw Denver Zoo
Teddy Roosevelt famously said “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” The folks at the Denver Zoo must have thought he was talking crap. The zoo happens to have a lot of animal dung on hand where it is, and via its own patent-pending gasification tech it is doing what it can, introducing a poo-powered rickshaw that turns animal waste and human trash into mobility.
The rickshaw was purchased from Thailand and modified to run on gasified pellets created by the zoo’s own technology. Those pellets, composed of animal waste and garbage generated by human visitors and zoo staff, aren’t just powering the rickshaw, but will be used to generate power at the zoo’s upcoming 10-acre elephant exhibit. Eventually, the zoo thinks it will be able to turn 90 percent of its waste into energy, making use not only of the copious amounts of animal poo it has on hand but also eliminating some 1.5 million pounds of annual garbage waste that previously went into landfills.
The gasification technology was designed by three full-time zoo employees working with a little help here and there from the National Renewable Energy Lab in nearby Boulder, as well as a few other companies and agencies. So it’s a home-grown, DIY system that could presumably be exported to other zoos and anywhere else animal waste is in abundance and energy is needed. This particular rickshaw has already been exported, landing at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in Palm Desert, Calif., this week.
This is an innovation in renewable energy. It has been done before but hopefully this can prove it as a viable source of energy.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very original idea but, its great that finally someone is making use of it. This is honestly the best thing humans have finally started doing for the atmosphere. In conclusion, this idea has been said but, never brought out of the box and now it has.
ReplyDeleteThis is kind of strange that someone actually thought of using waste for energy. I would hate to be one of the people that work with animal waste because of the smell. This is one thing that wont cause a lot of pollution in the air.
ReplyDeleteThis is a brilliant idea, they are not only using what they have an abundance of, but are also saving on pollution. I hope that this becomes more widespread so that we can reduce our impact on the environment. I hope that energy sources such as this soon replace our reliance on fossil fuels.
ReplyDeleteThis is an idea that can soon expand and not only be used at Denver's zoo, but all around the world. We have a large amount of waste on our planet so it might as well be put to use. I think its a great invention that's going to reduce pollution and make a lot of differences.
ReplyDeleteI think that its cool how they did this but I wonder if the exhaust that is being let out smells like poop. I also think that people aren't going to want this to become popular source of energy because of how gross the idea of it is. Using this source is not a bad idea in zoos.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a very cool invention and could possibly be an environment- savor. Not only are they using things that everywhere has an abundance of but they are also reducing how much pollution we create. The only downfall could possibly be the smell but other than that this idea should be used on a global scale if possible.
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome idea. They're reusing things they have and helping with pollution. Hopefully one day everyone will be able to use it. Like Cameron said, the only bad part has got to be the smell. What do they do about the smell?
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very big step in using the resources we are given to improve our daily lives. I think this could eventually stop all the pollution we create and the landfills. I have never heard of anyone being able to do it, but it is an interesting idea that I think more zoos should adopt. I really think this could have an impact on lots of zoos in the world and even advance to newer ideas.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting idea, and very creative. Hopefully, this will inspire scientists to find a renewable resource to use for our energy instead of the fossil fuels which are destroying our planet.
ReplyDeleteThis is really cool. Tis is the kind of stuff the government needs to be funding. the only thing about this article I don't like is that it doesn't tell you what kind of stuff that is a bi-product from the ric shaw.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a pretty cool idea. It is saving alot of pollution from the air. Having more stuff like this developed would be life saving. I like hoe they used what they had to come up with a great way to get energy. People should more things they can create from things around them that would actually help the environment.
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DeleteI think that this is extremely cool and also weird in a way. But, it is also gross because this product is basically getting its energy from waste. Some people would not want to use this because of that reason, but is could be really useful for our society
ReplyDeleteI think this invention is honestly really cool. I love how they are finding new ways to renew things and get rid of waste. This could change the future for a lot of zoos and other animal places. Its especially neat that it also uses a little human trash too, seeing that zoos are big tourist and people places.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the greatest inventions I have heard about for this part probably year. I love the fact people are starting to want to go green, and not just use a bunch of coal for power to run something. The convenience of the "car" being at the zoo makes it even better, with the fact that it can show the little kids who are happy to be there how to be a good person.
ReplyDeleteIt is a great use to turn waste into energy. The question is how long can it run on the waste? How often does it need to be filled? It would be especially great if zoos put in to use this idea across the world. It would eliminate the waste that goes into landfills, preserving the environment.
ReplyDeleteI had heard about this before but I didn't think that it was serious. I think that this is a great invention because it is an easy way to help the environment without polluting the air and also a much cheaper way of fuel.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really cool and new invention. It will help with many things and help make things much easier. Maybe one day it will be used in many more places for many different things.
ReplyDeleteThis new innovation is brilliant and I'm happy to see that the world is reusing things, as weird as they may be, but it really seems like it'll help the environment. I hope to see stuff like this in the future.
ReplyDeleteI think that this discovery is amazing. It is a great way to save money. It is good how people are coming up with ways to renew products and eliminate waste at the same time. This will really help the environment. Pollution will be reduced by using such products.
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