While Hokkaido's economy has been hit hard by recent decreases in public works spending, extensive development Opportunities remain. Hokkaido is both an ideal production area for agricultural and other primary products, and a spectacular tourist destination thanks to its vast natural beauty. Sumitomo Corporation Hokkaido Co., Ltd. is committed to creating a bright future for the region by leveraging its abundant natural resources. Hokkaido is Japan's leading dairy farming region, but the odors and water pollution from livestock waste have become a social problem. Additionally, the methane gas produced by livestock waste is said to be the second largest contributor (after carbon dioxide) to ozone layer depletion and to global warming. In response, Sumitomo Corp. Hokkaido proposes a Bio Gas System to tackle these problems. This is a circulatory environmental system which involves: A) fermenting waste products using methane-generating bacteria and extracting the methane gas; B) using the extracted methane gas to generate electricity as a power source for heaters; and C) returning the waste liquid following the fermentation procedure to the soil as fertilizer.
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