Slashdot Mirror
Cows On Treadmills Produce Clean Power For Farms
separsons writes "William Taylor, a farmer in Northern Ireland, recently developed the Livestock Power Mill, a treadmill for cows. Taylor uses the device to generate clean, renewable power for his farm. Cows are locked into a pen on top of a non-powered, inclined belt. The cows' walking turns the belt, which spins a gearbox to drive a generator. One cow can produce about two kilowatts of electricity, enough energy to power four milking machines. It may seem like a kooky idea, but Taylor could be onto something: According to his calculations, if the world's 1.3 billion cattle used treadmills for eight hours a day, they could provide six percent of the world's power!"
Do they need to eat more?
Support my political activism on Patreon.
Don't the cows have to... eat? How is this any more efficient than burning corn directly?
And how long would it take a cow walking on a treadmill to produce an amount of energy equivalent to that used to produce the treadmill (including its raw materials) anyway?
But if he's got 1.3 billion cow treadmills handy, I'd happily take one if I had a cow.
Shouldnt we fix the abomination that livestock industry is, in that they make cows live in 1x2 m enclosed space from their birth to their death in the first place.
reminds of how big corporations treat people like livestock and make them toil for dimes in cramped spaces ... a society's mindset reflects on every aspect of life.
Read radical news here
I'm not sure I want my cows exercising. Their muscles will get tough and stringy.
It may be a bit more expensive and resource consuming, but fat, lazy cows are what I want.
For steaks, sure, but for ground beef, you want it lean.
Funny and innovative as the idea is: I wonder how clean this energy really is. It doesn't come out of thin air, those cows have to eat. And a cow's digestive system tends to produce quite some methane (a major greenhouse gas), and quite some waste - which also releases lots of ammonia amongst other harmful chemicals. On top of that the fodder also has to be produced (often using power for machinery and so), and a cow that walks that much definitely eats a lot more than a cow that grazes the pasture or is kept in a stable without much room to move.
And besides I think there are much more cattle-friendly ways to exercise your cow.
Doesn't matter if they are dairy cows. Exercised cows = happy cows = better milk.
Let me guess, you are also one of those people who gives your dog purified water, human food, a spring mattress to sleep on, and keeps them inside all day so they are more comfortable. I am an animal lover, have a feisty fat tabby and a Yellow Lab. Both very happy and healthy, why? Because I treat them like the animals they are. My dog gets dog food, I leave her outside all day, she rolls in mud puddles, chews on dead things, and occationally steals a treat from the kitty litter box when we aren't looking..
My point? These are COWS I have worked with cattle, I grew up in a farming community and worked on farms for most of my childhood. Cows are happy pretty much anywhere they don't have to swat flies. Treating a cow like a human is sheer stupidity because it would make them miserable.
CS: It is all sink or swim...oh and did I mention there are sharks in that water?
Cowpower = 2000 W
Horsepower = 745.7 W
WTF?
If only Gary Larson was still making Far Side comics. I'm certain he would make a very funny one!
--jeffk++
ipv6 is my vpn
while you and a few others will decide the pen is too small someone else will come along and call you barbaric for what you accept. Some may decide that one size permits too much movement which somehow injures the cow. Another might decide its painted the wrong color, get what I mean? There is permanent goal, meet one and they will make another or move it further out.
No farmer wants animals harmed or raised in unsafe manners, it is not cost effective. On a farm with a few thousand head of cattle it ain't hard to find an animal who is not healthy or into a situation you could not predict.
As far as the quip about big corporations and cubes, spend less time ranting and more time starting your own business. Oh, I forgot, ranting is so much easier. There is a reason why so many are employed by big corporations, it is because it is far easier to let someone else make the decisions for you and take the risk for you. This is the same reason why many have no problem giving up their personal and financial freedom to the government for the coddling they believe they receive in return.
We seem to put more care into the well being of animals than ourselves.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
I believe that having a gun pointed at you is a fairly universal language for “stop”.
Make that "AND no corn syrup". High-fructose corn syrup ON meat is a bit much, even for crazy Amercicans...
What do you think barbeque sauce is made from?
Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.