Is Poo the Key to All Our Problems?

● worldatlas.com/articles /the-5-layers-of-theocean.html. ● oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/deep-ocean.html ● wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-keeps-theocean-from-draining-through-the-sand ● scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=3657 ● geo.mtu.edu/KeweenawGeoheritage/

BlackLavas/Basalt.html ● geology.com/rocks/basalt.shtml ● ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays/dwarflantern-shark ● nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/crust/ ● youtube.com/watch?v=53igmq2ntKg ● bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment56377567 ● britannica.com/topic/Antikythera-mechanism ● whoi.edu/know-your-ocean/did-you-know/whyis-pressure-different-in-the-ocean/ ● youtube.com/watch?v=UxvzjrDE1Kk ● oceana.org/marine-life/goblin-shark/ ● americanoceans.org/species/humboldt-squid/

By Amelia Cayton Year 10 I will be exploring a few of the innovative and surprising new uses of poo such as its use as an alternate power source, paper and fuel for cars to name a few and whether these new uses will solve the problem of climate change taking recycling to a whole new level.

First of all, Poo Power.

The UN has calculated that if all of the

world's human waste were to be collected and used for biogas generation, the value could be as high

as $9.5 billion (or in other words enough to supply the electricity for 138 million households, the equivalent of powering all of Indonesia, Brazil and Ethiopia combined). So, it's possible in theory, but is it possible in reality? The water firm Thames Water has successfully been using human toilet waste to make electricity for the past decade, from

either burning sludge or methane derived from its 13 million customers' toilets. Northumbrian Water currently uses anaerobic digestion to capture the methane and carbon dioxide released by bacteria, digesting the sludge and using it to drive its gas engines to create electricity. It also injects some gas directly into the grid. It has two biogas plants, which together have reduced the firm's annual £40m electricity bill by around 20%. In total it has saved the firm £15m a year. Rival UK water firms such as Severn Trent and Wessex Water are doing similar things to Northumbrian, and biogas production is common in countries such as China, Sweden and Germany. So… yes, we have the technology and poopower is already in practice. But what are the problems, why isn't it in practice globally? There are not many issues with this unique source of energy, but the main problem in implementing poo power on a

larger scale is that despite the obvious financial and environmental advantages, this