Thursday 10-07-10

Human waste used to power homes
Human waste is being turned into renewable gas and used to power homes for the first time.

A pilot project run by Centrica in a plant at Didcot sewage works, Oxfordshire, is the first in Britain to produce renewable gas from sewage for households to use.

The waste is stored for 18 days and then turned into domestic gas which will supply about 200 homes with power.

Prince Charles turns Highgrove into a green havenThe scheme sees sewage arriving at the Didcot works for treatment, and then sludge – the solid part of the waste – is further treated in a process known as anaerobic digestion in which bacteria break down the biodegradable material and creates gas.

The gas is cleaned before it is fed into the gas grid, in a process which takes around 20 days from lavatory flush to being piped back to people's homes.

Anaerobic digestion is already used to create renewable electricity from sewage – with the gas burned to produce power – but this is the first time the biogas has been pumped directly into the grid for use in homes.

The £2.5m project is a joint venture between Thames Water, British Gas and Scotia Gas Networks.

Energy experts believe that 15 per cent of all gas consumed could come from human waste, sewage slurry and food thrown away by households and supermarkets.

It is hoped that if successful the pilot project could be rolled out across the country.

However there are concerns that the investment is not there as it is more expensive to produce renewable gas, known as biomethane.

Gearóid Lane, managing director of communities and new energy at British Gas, said: "This renewable gas project is a real milestone in Britain's energy history, and will help customers and the environment alike.

"Renewable gas has the potential to make a significant contribution to meeting the UK's energy needs. Gas from sewage is just one part of a bigger project, which will see us using brewery and food waste and farm slurry to generate gas to heat homes."

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said: "It's not every day that a Secretary of State can announce that, for the first time ever in the UK, people can cook and heat their homes with gas generated from sewage. This is a historic day for the companies involved, for energy from waste technologies, and for progress to increase the amount of renewable energy in the UK."

Under the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive, which was set to be introduced next April but is currently subject to the Government's spending review, subsidies would be paid for renewable gas being put into the grid.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8043237/Human-waste-used-to-power-homes.html

Dog Waste Used to Power Street Lantern

Dog owners know their best friends are going to have to go no matter what.

Now, they can turn it into energy by putting it into a device called the Park Spark.

Drop it in, turn the wheel, and the methane from the waste powers a gas-light style street lantern.

The device helps fill a need for clean energy and better waste disposal and all people need to do to fuel it is look around

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/offbeat/dog-waste-used-to-power-street-lantern-092310

Castle Doctrine Finally Overcomes Opposition
We’re not done yet, but Castle Doctrine has finally come through the House. The vote was earlier this evening, and involved lots of yelling, many threats, and even some cane waving. There was some of the most entertaining sausage making I’ve ever seen. I wished I had recorded it for future laughs.

The bill faced several hurdles, including an attempt to adjourn instead of actually holding a vote. The Philadelphia Democrats tried out-of-order motions to table the bill, even when the Speaker repeatedly announced the call for a vote on the actual bill.

At least one AP reporter “gets it” with this summary of what’s going on:

The vote to widen the “castle doctrine” so that it applies beyond homes and vehicles was 159-38, with dozens of Democrats voting with Republicans, the latest demonstration of how gun issues do not follow partisan political lines in the Pennsylvania Legislature.

It’s so refreshing knowing to see a reporter acknowledge that the important issues doesn’t break along party lines. The article also reports that a Senate Republican source says the Senate will, in fact, take up the bill next week. Gov. Rendell still won’t say whether he will veto or sign.

http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/2010/10/05/castle-doctrine-finally-overcomes-opposition/

What to cook when cancer hits
Doctors often instruct cancer patients to eat well to keep up their strength.
But for cancer patients, getting through a simple meal can be a challenge. Radiation treatments can burn the throat, making it painful to swallow. Chemotherapy can cause patients to develop mouth sores or leave people nauseated. Other patients find that chemo takes away their sense of smell or alters their sense of taste.


RECIPE: Tuna quesadilla for taste alteration
FOR SORE THROAT: 100-calorie roasted root vegetable soup
FAMILY PLEASER: Creamy mac and cheese

Two books from the American Cancer Society aim to help both patients and their caregivers overcome these hurdles. The Complete Guide to Nutrition for Cancer Survivors ($24.95), published this year, explains how good nutrition can help boost the immune system and fight fatigue.

What to Eat During Cancer Treatment ($19.95), published last year, offers 100 recipes to help patients cope with six major symptoms of treatment. For instance, there's a brie and apple grilled cheese for patients coping with nausea. Most recipes take only 30 minutes to make.

That's important, given that cancer patients may not have much energy to spend in the kitchen and caregivers may be pressed for time, says the cancer society's Colleen Doyle, who edited both books.

The recipes also include foods packed with vitamins and antioxidants, Doyle says. Patients who eat well are often better able to deal with side effects of treatment and may be better able to fight off infections, she says.

"I truly believe food is medicine, and it helps people provide their body with the nutrition they need to heal," say Barbara Grant, a registered dietitian and co-author of Nutrition for Cancer Survivors.

American Cancer Society's tips for cooking for someone with cancer:

• Ask if the person has any special requests. "Instead of just showing up with chocolate cake, ask, 'What can I make you? What sounds good?' " says Grant.

• Ask if you can help with groceries or offer to do the dishes, says the American Cancer Society's Colleen Doyle, a registered dietitian.

• Offer to put together a "survival kit" in a cooler, filled with snacks and drinks, for times when the cancer patient doesn't want to get out of bed to go to the kitchen to eat, Doyle says.

• Prepare an "on-the-go" snack mix with nuts, pretzels, dry cereal or crackers for the cancer patient to eat when away from home.

• Instead of making one big casserole, prepare individual servings to freeze and reheat, Doyle says.

• Wash your hands carefully, make sure all meats and eggs are fully cooked, and take care to avoid any kind of contamination, which can be dangerous for people with weakened immune systems.

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/medical/cancer/2010-10-06-cancerfood06_ST_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip