We have so much of it, we should be finding ways to make better use of it. Waste matter, I mean.
Dried animal dung has been used as fuel in ancient times. People burn clumps of dried cattle and camel dung as part of their campfires. Today, animal and even human dung are used as biofuel.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have even funded a project in Ghana for turning the region's waste matter into biodiesel. This project not only aims to produce renewable fuel, but also help create a more sanitary Ghana. Waste matter usually finds its way into Ghana's water system, creating an unhealthy environment for its residents. With this project underway, two problems: that of the need for better sources of fuel, and Ghana's health and sanitation, are addressed.
That being said, it begs the question about why the Philippines has yet to undertake a major project of using fecal matter for biodiesel. The only project for biodiesel that the Philippines has undertaken so far uses coconut oil as biodiesel. And even that is blended into petroleum-based diesel.
If you think about it, waste matter is an excellent raw material for energy and fuel. It is free, it is abundant, and will otherwise just go back to the earth. With the population in the country, as well as the number of hog farms and cattle breeders operating, surely, there is an abundance of sources for waste matter biofuels.
Maybe it's the lack or the cost of technology that prevents our country from considering biofuels from waste. Maybe it's the lack of funding or support that keeps the Philippines from considering such a project. But if the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation could choose Ghana as a site for investing in waste-turned-fuel, could it be a possibility for the Philippine Government to be able to broker a similar grant, as well? Food for thought, don't you think?
