The Problem
Recently greenhouse gases have been the subject of many pieces of legislation and company plans. Carbon Dioxide is the main enemy that is constantly being attacked, but methane is often overlooked as a possible issue. According to the American Society for Microbiology, methane emissions have 20 to 30 times the greenhouse gas trapping effect compared to CO2. More importantly, the main perpetrator of methane pollution is the beef industry. Ag-gag laws and other pieces of legislation not only keep the horrors and real effects of the industry from the public, but they don't do anything to stop the pollution that is being created.
The Solution
My product plans to solve the dangerous methane pollution created by the farming industry in a friendly way both to the farm and to the environment. The product will be both the collection tool and the system where the methane is broken down by microbes, called methanotrophs. By collecting methane and using methanotrophs I will be able to reduce the amount of methane produced through the methanotrophs respiration. Methanotrophs have a special protein called methane monooxygenase that allows them to break the bonds in methane molecules.
This solution is breaking boundaries in the world of agriculture by providing a safe and environmentally safe way to dispose of the methane produced by livestock. Other products have been made, like the methane backpack for cows, but they were only a proof-of-concept and not actually pushed forwards making my solution a stand alone idea. My deliverable will be a collection system prototype that is connected to a container that holds methanotrophs. Data will be collected based off of the amount of methane in the prototype with methanotrophs to see their real effect on the composition of the air. Connecting with local farmers is going to be an important part of my project because they are my target audience.
