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ABOUT THIS VIDEO
What’s better than a cow that supplies fresh, wholesome milk? Well, how
about one that also provides a clean and renewable source of energy? As
owners of the Vermont-based Pleasant Valley Farm, Mark and Amanda St.
Pierre are supplying one of the oldest sources of energy used by humans –
sludge! As this family-run farm produces more than 40 million pounds of
milk annually, it's also producing enough sludge to generate
approximately 3.5 million KWH (kilowatt-hours) of clean, renewable
electricity. That is, clean, renewable, mooo energy...very cool!
DIG DEEPER
- The methane-capture program being
implemented at the Pleasant Valley Farm is part of the Central Vermont
Public Service (CVPS) program. Click here to learn more about CVPS and its contributions to Vermont's renewable energy programs.
- Today, approximately half of the energy used in the United States comes from dirty, polluting coal.
Sign up for green power with your local utility to support the
development of more renewable energy projects from clean sources such as
biomass, wind or solar. You can check your utility’s website to see
what renewable resource project(s) they are supporting with your
contributions.
- If you own a small farm and want to learn more about anaerobic digesters or about solar applications from these
digesters, visit this U.S. Department of Energy website.
- Whether you’re renting or own your home, you can greatly reduce your
utility bill by implementing these easy energy-efficiency steps:
- In a typical U.S. home, lighting accounts
for about twenty percent of the energy bill. Switch out your incandescent bulbs to Energy-Star approved CFL or LED bulbs. Visit this Energy-Star website for
a guide on the variety of energy-saving lighting products available and
for an estimated time frame of how long it will take for you to make
back the price of the new bulbs.
- Homeowners can also attain substantial reductions in their utility
bills by replacing an old water heater with a tankless water heater. If
it is not time to switch to a new water heater or if you rent, then
lower the thermostat on your traditional water heater to 120 degrees and
wrap the water heater with an insulation blanket from your local
hardware store (newer water heaters already come equipped with an
interior blanket). In addition, gain additional savings by washing all
your clothes in cold water and by line-drying these clothes!
- Weatherize your home! Click here for a quick how-to from United Way's Project Warm Heart. Some more specific weatherization tips:
- Weatherstrip and insulate your attic hatch or door to prevent warm air from escaping out the top of your house.
NOTES: • Working for Green does not support the use of digesters on large farms,
or concentrated animal feeding operations, due to the high level of
environmental and social damage associated with these farms.) • In 2008, the EPA fined the St. Pierres for converting 41 acres of
wetlands to corn and hay production areas on their dairy farm. They were
also asked to restore damaged wetlands and perform additional
environmental projects under the terms of a settlement with the EPA and
the U.S. Dept. of Justice. Tagsalternative energy, digesters, cattle, methane, community, cow power, electricity, energy, farm innovations, lifestyle, make money, small business, St Pierre, Union of Concerned Scientists, Vermont, your community
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