Modern Ruminant Livestock Paradigm: Reducing Methane Production and Increasing Feed Efficiency

 The gases in the atmosphere that can capture the sun's heat are called greenhouse gases (GHG). Which includes greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, among others, are carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and freon (SF6, HFC and PFC). Methane gas (CH4) is a dangerous gas for the earth's atmosphere and one of the greenhouse gas groups above because of the destructive power of methane gas 21 times carbon dioxide (CO2). This requires efforts to prevent methane gas and reduce its production. An example is the use of POME waste or palm oil mill effluent for biogas production. In this way, methane occurring in the open air (aerobic) will be avoided (methane avoidance scenario) and will not be released into the atmosphere with the biogas unit. The livestock sector also has the potential to produce, namely the group of ruminant farms or ruminant animals. The methane is produced in the ruminant's rumen as part of the digestion process. It is estimated that the contribution of methane from ruminant livestock is dominant and of course it needs to be reduced. The production of methane gas (CH4) besides being an environmental problem also causes a lot of energy loss in livestock. And it turns out that there is a process of reducing methane production which simultaneously improves health and increases body weight and milk production.

Large ruminant farms should be more aware of this condition and have a greater incentive to reduce methane production. Biochar is a feed supplement that can be used for the above purposes. The use of 1-3% biochar from dry feed ingredients has been shown to significantly increase body weight gain in beef cattle, as well as milk production in dairy cows. Experiments in Australia on beef cattle for 2 months have given a weight gain of 10% compared to those who do not use biochar. As for dairy cows, it has provided a profit of $ 70,000 per year. For more details, read here. Meanwhile, the reduction in methane gas emissions is estimated at 29% from the use of biochar. Once paddle 2-3 islands, so the saying goes.

Another effect of using biochar as a feed additive is that livestock manure becomes denser and less smelly. Biochar can also be used alone to deal with the smell and viscosity of livestock manure, so that the cage becomes cleaner and does not smell strong. In addition, if the manure is used for production, the biogas production will also increase, for more details, please read here. The composted digestate will also produce better organic fertilizer (compost) because of the additional biochar. 

The quality of biochar is also very important, especially for animal feed supplements. Meat and milk are livestock production to meet human food needs, so that it will also affect humans in the end. The quality of biochar is determined by the raw materials used and the production process carried out. This indicates that not all biochar has the same quality, for example biochar from agricultural wastes with high ash content with traditional processes, with wood biomass raw materials with a small ash content and modern processes, of course the results are different, for example using the same modern technology will have different results. The differences mainly lie in their physical chemistry properties. 

Biochar production should also be designed according to its objectives, for example the biochar feed supplement above must use selected biomass raw materials and modern processes so that the quality is stable and maintained. Meanwhile, the reference for biochar quality can be OMRI, USDA or IBI. World feed livestock associations or organizations such as FEFAC, IFIF and AFIA are currently very concerned about safety and sustainability, so this can be in line with biochar as a feed additive. Biochar as a feed additive, especially dairy cattle, has been accepted by almost all European Union countries. Meanwhile, for purposes such as reducing odors and the dilution of impurities, biochar is produced from any biomass and even by using simple technology (low tech).  

7 Reasons Why Future of World Economy Depends on Renewable Energy

There are various reasons as to why the global economic future depends on alternative renewable energy sources. Here are seven of these reasons.

1. Reducing the effects of global warming. Alternative renewable energy sources will provide a solution to the ecological crisis that is caused in part by global warming. If the switch to alternative renewable energy sources is not made soon, this may have a very serious impact on the world economy and the world’s communities.
2. Fossil fuels are running out. Oil and natural gas are not infinite and will run out eventually. Even before they run out, they will become increasingly expensive because of scarcity. The resulting energy crisis will have a devastating impact on the global economy.
3. Reducing pollution. Alternative renewable energy sources are a wonderful way for reducing the global levels of pollution. For example, waste to energy is a great method of turning discarded trash into desperately needed energy to power and heat our homes.
   
   
4. Supporting developing countries. The need for energy goes up every year, especially as more developing countries advance. When they have access to domestically produced energy, it will make their development process easier, as local economies benefit from the abundance of businesses and jobs. The countries of the future will be the countires that are embracing green energy sources right now. Look at China – they got into the act this last few years as they understand that there future depends on it. More and more countries are taking action. Anything to do with the green economy is going to be huge in the next few decades.

5. Moving away from foreign oil dependency. It is possible to produce alternative renewable energy sources domestically in every country. This means that no nation will depend on another to provide it with the means to produce energy, as well as a cleaner domestic environment overall.
6.  Investing in alternative energy. It is a smart choice to invest in alternative energy. This means that it is not only a great opportunity to help our planet, but also one to receive a good financial return in the end. 
7. Creating green jobs. Many new jobs would be created once the switch to alternative renewable energy sources is made. Factory jobs would be needed, since the manufacturing of energy source components is needed. Technicians would be needed to install, service, and repair those energy source components, like wind turbines, solar panels, or municipal waste pyrolyzer.

While for the specific reasons on the biomass for energy with thermal energy conversion route, please click here.

For the original article, click here

For more information, go to:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy