Two Examples of How RNG Can Benefit Society and the Environment

1. Two Examples of How RNG Can Benefit Society and the Environment RNG, an acronym for Renewable Natural Gas, is a significant clean energy source for a lot of regions and countries globally, including Madison, Uganda, and Wisconsin. In addition to the energy source, RNG offers environmental benefits, adding to its popularity. RNG is obtained from organic or natural waste materials like food waste, livestock manure, animal waste, agricultural waste, and other sources from farms, waste treatment facilities, and landfills. Moreover, this gas is carbon neutral and can help control/decrease methane emissions from livestock, landfills, food scraps, and other degradable waste products. According to the American Biogas Council, RNG and other biomass processing offer several benefits, “Biogas systems protect our air, water, and soil by recycling organic waste into renewable energy and soil products while reducing GHG emissions. In the U.S., there is an urgent need to manage millions of tons of food, water, and animal waste. The main benefits of biogas systems come from the fact that they are recycling all this material while also producing renewable energy and soil products which displace fossil fuels. When you put these and other benefits together, we can prevent tons of carbon emissions from entering our air, prevent nutrients from entering our waterways, create healthier soils with natural, non-fossil fuel-based fertilizers, and produce reliable, baseload renewable energy.” The American Biogas Council predicts the development of over 15,000 new biogas systems in the upcoming years. Let us look into two instances of RNG and Biogas use. The first example is of East Africa, wherein local communities and farmers are turning natural waste into biogas for several uses, including lighting and cooking, simultaneously reducing harmful methane and CO2 emissions. As a developing country, many households depend on unfriendly fuels like bottled natural gas or limited resources like charcoal or wood for household chores. Biogas, as a green fuel, is an excellent substitute for unhealthy and non-eco-friendly fuels.

2. Next up is the example of Madison, Wisconsin. The city is known for its chain of lakes, and the lake water was crystal clear around seventy years ago. However, things have drastically changed over the years. At present, the lakes are bothered by the presence of weeds and the periodic appearance of algae. As a result, it stinks on multiple summer days every year. The root cause of lake deterioration is believed to be the increasing phosphorus content in the water bodies disposed of in animal feed and chemical fertilizers. Now, the question is, how is the deterioration of lakes related to RNG? Anaerobic digesters used in the production of RNG or Biogas can significantly decrease the amount of phosphorus drained along with methane from various sources of waste. Thanks to the recent installation of two manual digesters and the plan to install one more in 2024 or 2025, the Madison- area watershed is all set to export more phosphorus than it receives. This will reduce the emission of harmful gasses in the long run, and thus, lakes will start to clear up. Moreover, the landfill has an advanced processing facility that transforms methane into renewable natural gas. The produced gas is transported to other regions through natural gas pipelines and used locally for several applications. In conclusion, renewable natural gas paves the way for a cleaner and greener future, and countries across the globe should start leveraging this sustainable resource. If you wish to install or know how biogas purification plant, upgradation plants, and other systems involved in the green gas manufacturing work, you can visit Atmos Power’s website. Source:https://vivaanpathak.website3.me/two-examples-of-how-rng-can-benefit-society-and- the-environment