Plush toy maker Mary Meyer turns to Cow Power
Plush toy maker uses alternative fuel
-- Kids Today, 3/4/2010 9:13:00 AM
TOWNSHEND, Vt. – Mary Meyer, Vermont’s oldest stuffed toy company, gives a big hug to the state’s newest renewable energy source, Cow Power.
In 2009, Mary Meyer began to receive 100% of its energy from the Central Vermont Power Service (CVPS) Cow Power program.
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| In addition to relying solely on Cow Power for electricity, Mary Meyer's Fuzz That Wuzz collection, which includes Moozzzz Cow, keeps more than 10 bottles out of landfills. The outer fabric and the stuffing are both high-quality polyester fiber made from 100% recycled plastic PET bottles, $25, marymeyer.com, 802-365-7793. |
“We are supporting renewable energy and Vermont’s dairy farms that produce electricity with methane powered generators fueled by cow manure,” said Kevin Meyer, president of Mary Meyer. “We are purchasing all of our electricity through the CVPS Cow Power program which costs us 4 cents/kilowatt-hour more than regular rates but we think it is well worth it. Vermont’s local agriculture is important to all of us at Mary Meyer. Our commitment to Cow Power is one way we can do our part to help sustain and protect this resource.”
According to the CVPS Cow Power program description, “the process begins with the cow. One cow can produce over 30 gallons of manure/day. 1,000 cows produce about 30,000 gallons of manure/day.”
Here’s how it works: the manure is fed into an anaerobic digester. The digester is built to hold 21 days of farm waste at roughly 100 degrees. Then, bacteria convert the waste into various products, one of which is methane gas.
The gas builds up pressure in the concrete vessel and a pipe delivers the biogas to a modified natural gas engine. The biogas fuels the engine, which in turn spins an electric generator to create electricity. The energy is fed into the CVPS electrical system for distribution. The waste heat from the engine is used to keep the digester warm and offsets fuel purchases on the farms.
One cow’s waste can produce enough electricity to light two 100-watt light bulbs, 24 hours a day.
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It's the lesser of two evils.
Relying on unsustainable factory animal farms, that have to be gotten rid of for the sake of the planet and humans to continue their existence , really a step in the right direction? Wind, solar and water are the only sources that don't have a destructive impact if used only at the point of use.
Leslie Dyer - 2010-03-06 15:51:00 EST
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