Posted on 07/27/2002 10:28:11 AM PDT by forest
Here's a very workable idea for all those activist eco-whackos perpetually causing problems around the county: Shovel it!
That's right. A great new opportunity has opened up that would allow the eco-whackos to be both gainfully employed AND do something significant to help the environment. What's not for them to like here, eh?
It's a very simple no-brainer. All they have to do is shovel it. Because, by shoveling it, they will be cleaning the land, helping clean the air we breath and aiding in the production of an important product. Plus, they can probably earn a living wage from their activities at the same time. All they have to so is shovel it.
Those cute young chicks who like to protest animal rights in the nude can continue undressing in public because they can shovel it while nude. The tree huggers will love the shovel it concept because they can roam around outside while shoveling it. And the urban eco-whackos can participate by shoveling it in the city, while at the same time protecting parks and other greenspaces.
Truly, this shovel it concept fits right in with the intentions of all sorts of environmental extremists. Instead of just making mouth noises about cleaning up the environment, all they have to do to get significant results is put fourth a little effort and shovel it.
The concept was actually invented in Europe by the German company, Farmatic UK. Farmatic wants to be the first of a network of "green" energy plants in the UK and it appears they will do just that. Towards that end, they have constructed a £7-million plant at Holsworthy in Devon. So, where does the shovel it part come in? Let's investigate a little:
The plant will produce electricity by burning methane gas resulting from a fermented slurry. The slurry, of course, comes from biodegradable material. According to reports, "the process will also provide hot water for low- cost heating around Holsworthy and organic manure for farmers to use on their land."(1)
Managing director of Farmatic and the man behind the new plant, Jorgen Fink, from Denmark, said that it would take up to two months for the operation to reach full capacity. He said: "We are commissioning the gas engine and testing it at full capacity today, and electricity is going to be produced. I would say that the plant in Devon can actually produce enough energy to cover the whole of Holsworthy. We are planning to start power production and sell to the National grid now." He added: "What we are doing is very safe and a lot of people have shown an interest in the UK but they are waiting to see this one up and running first."
According to Farmatic, the processed material used eventually leaves the plant safe for farmers to spread on their fields because it goes through a pasteurization process to remove the risk of disease. One local farmer said that, "I'm quite looking forward to it. The PH levels in the bio-fertilizer we will be getting are a lot better than what we normally use so this should be a good thing for farmers and the countryside."
The slurry material used is manure. Dung. The plant will process 146,000 tons of manure slurry from 30 local farms every year. That will require quite a lot of shoveling and could keep a lot of eco-whackos busy for years to come.
After all, such manure fueled power plants have proven clean and effective -- Germany and Denmark each operate about 20 large-scale plants without a problem -- so we see absolutely no reason that American environmentalists should not be willing to lend a hand by shoveling it. Our country also has plenty of fuel. All that is required is a little elbow grease. And who better to provide it than all those strange groups so obstinate about protecting Mother Earth?
Now they can protect the earth and also do something productive. So, lets tell then to go shovel it.
1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/england/2135431.stm
The plant will produce electricity by burning methane gas resulting from a fermented slurry. The slurry, of course, comes from biodegradable material. According to reports, "the process will also provide hot water for low- cost heating around Holsworthy and organic manure for farmers to use on their land."
The slurry material used is manure. Dung. The plant will process 146,000 tons of manure slurry from 30 local farms every year. That will require quite a lot of shoveling and could keep a lot of eco-whackos busy for years to come.
Such manure fueled power plants have proven clean and effective -- Germany and Denmark each operate about 20 large-scale plants without a problem. Now environmentalists can protect the earth and also do something productive. So, lets tell then to go shovel it.
They can shove it with a dozer, they can shove it with their hands
They can shove it with their noses, they can shove it with some pans
They can shove it in the moonlight, they can shove it in a mine
They can shove it in a place where the sun doesn't shine
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