CO_2 LEVEL CONTROL BY ANTHROPOGENIC PEAT: THE ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF BIOMASS

摘要

Anthropogenic Peat (AP) has been described as an effective and economical way to control the level of CO_2 in the atmosphere without adverse effect on economic activity and development. All elements of the proposal are separately at work, but one, anaerobic digestion, is not widely known nor has it been applied to biomass as AP reguires. Anaerobic digestion is described here, with some of its current large-scale applications. Results of lab studies of the digestion of other materials, including biomass especially grown for this purpose are presented, and the methods used to find them are explained. Preferred biomass source for AP is sugar cane, and extended studies have been run on a close relative, sorghum; preliminary work on cane itself and on various sugar sources is also reported.