Jamie Favaloro
Professor
Williams
Ethics &
the Environment
2 December
2013
Cow
Power: A Sustainable Way to Provide Power
Farming has always been a large part
of Vermont culture. Unfortunately, farmers often face the tough decision of
whether or not to grow into a bigger production or take the risk of being
squeezed out. Farmers are subject to many policies on how they run their
operations and experience the scrutiny of many environmentalists. Audet's Blue
Spruce Farm approached the problem of sustainability in a way that is
beneficial to more the just the farm, but also to the surrounding community.
Recent generations of the Audet family have put forth great effort into seeking
a more sustainable way to continue their dairy farm at a time when farmers do
not see high revenue for their intensive labor.
With the help of Central Vermont
Public Service and David Dunn, the Blue Spruce Farm has implemented the use of
a biodigester. The biodigester simulates the process of a stomach, biologically
digesting the cow waste and turning it into biogas. A squeegee is used to
collect cow poop and wash waters, distributing it into the digester. Throughout
a twenty-one day process, manure is kept at 100 degrees Fahrenheit and produces
gas. The biogas fuels a spark ignited engine that drives the generator
producing heat, hot water, and electricity that goes directly onto the utility
grid, dispersing to power lines. This technology has enabled the Audet's to
farm in a more sustainable manner by producing enough power to efficiently run
the farm with an excess amount providing energy to 300 additional homes or
businesses (Blue Spruce Farm website).
In partner with other Cow Power
farms in the state, the project has produced 48 million kilawatt hours since
2005. Cow power runs at 75% efficiency, higher than both wind and solar power,
and has the potential to supply 10% of the nation's energy needs (Cow Power:
The Film). The recent generations of the Blue Spruce Farm have focused on the
best treatment of their cows. The Audet's are proud that Cow Power has
additional benefits to their farm other than energy. The leftovers from the
digester continue to go through a process of separation for multiple purposes.
The solid matter continues to decompose and gets used as more comfortable
bedding for their cows. The leftover liquid matter is stored as a nutrient rich
and environmentally friendly fertilizer that helps grow better quality feed
(Blue Spruce Farm website).
In addition to those material
benefits, Cow Power has allowed for the farm to reduce their carbon footprint
by putting out fewer emissions into the air and in many ways making use of a
very renewable resource, cow poop. The benefits of Cow Power are great in the
sense that the amount of cow waste seems never ending while our fossil fuel
driven society continues to get closer to hitting rock bottom as would the
folks flying the Taker Thunderbolt in David Quinn's, Ishmael (107). By
continuing to find renewable resources we are trying to alleviate the problem
of running out of sources to produce power rather than considering how we get
back to living more along the line of the Leavers. The Leavers lived in harmony
with nature, rather than seeking to conquer all the land without consideration
to what is truly the greatest good for the greatest number. I don't have a magic solution for the
monumental damage the Takers have imposed upon nature, but it seems that the
Blue Spruce Farm's contribution was to implement Cow Power and become a carbon
neutral operation.
I support the Cow Power movement and
it's intentions for a more environmentally friendly production. It would be
difficult to disagree that finding alternative resources to carry on our daily
business would not seem ideal. The Blue Spruce Farm has taken a situation in
which they have been forced to take less money for their milk every three years
due to steep market declines (Parsons 4) and create an operation that enables
their farm to have an environmentally and economically sustainable future. What
I find concerning about our desire to seek alternative and renewable resources
is that it does not address the problem that has been so redundant throughout
history. From the time of Taker civilization, the land has been sought to
conquer without any consideration to nature. We know from the works of David
Quinn and John Hughes, that history repeats itself for as long as we live so
arrogantly and without regard to how we came to be on this Earth.
Takers are not above the law, but
continue to behave as though they are for as long as the destruction that has
been so clearly caused by Taker intervention is ignored. It is imperative for
the well-being of a maintainable life on Earth that we start to consider how
humankind came to be and furthermore what actions can be taken to make a
positive contribution in getting things on the track to recovery. I find myself
fearful of the direction we are headed in and for future generations for as
long as their life is habitable on Earth. As I mentioned before I feel stuck
and only minimally hopeful for the restoration of the environment in regards to
solutions and how to fix the damage that has been caused. The Ethics and the
Environment class has truly opened my eyes to the ways in which humankind is
responsible for so much of the environmental predicament we are in. I believe
that a course like this allows students to broaden their lenses and become more
aware and hopefully productive citizens, which is just what we need in order to
tackle the challenge ahead of us.
Working in a group can be very
tough. I have been required to work in groups in previous jobs and found that
they can often be a challenge, but I never experienced such a challenge finding
a common time to meet as our PAEP group did. Being put into a group with three
other busy college students, some of whom have jobs and myself as a parent,
made coordinating a common time very difficult. Aside from finding a reasonable
time for everyone to meet, the group experience went well. My visit to the Blue
Spruce Farm was definitely my favorite part of the project. The fact that we
live in such a small world was reiterated when I ran into a friend that I see
on a weekly basis working on the farm. In speaking with Marie Audet and my
friend, I was able to possess a much greater appreciation for the farming
industry and all the hard work it entails. When I walked away from the farm I
found myself feeling proud to be a Vermonter and in awe of the amazing project
the farm has embarked on.
Works Cited
Audet, Marie.
"Blue Spruce Farm | Audet's Cow Power." Blue Spruce Farm | Audet's
Cow
Power. N.p., n.d. Web.
25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.bluesprucefarmvt.com/>.
Cow Power:
The Film. Dir. Allison
Gillette. Prod. Michael G. Gray. 2013. Online.
Parsons, Bob.
"Vermont's Dairy Sector: Is There a Sustainable Future for the 800 Lb.
Gorilla?"
Opportunities for Agricultural Working Paper Series 1.4 (n.d.): 1-12. Print.
Quinn, Daniel.
Ishmael. New York: Bantam/Turner Book, 1995. Print.
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