密歇根新闻广播 底特律动物园如何将粪便转化为清洁能源?

If zoos have a lot of one thing, it's manure¹.

That's why the Detroit Zoo turned to Michigan State University researcher Dana Kirk to help turn that manure into power.

Kirk uses an anaerobic² digester to create clean energy from organic waste. Starting this fall, the Detroit Zoo will become the second zoo in the world to generate electricity from its manure.

Kirk is an assistant professor of biosystems and agricultural engineering at MSU, where he manages the Anaerobic Digestion³ Research and Education Center. He joined Stateside to explain more about the project.

Manure is often perceived only as something to get rid of, but Kirk is working to change that. He wants to alter how we view organic waste, and to create innovative⁴ ways to reuse it as a reliable energy resource.

"Instead of putting our food waste in garbage cans and throwing it out with the general trash, can we capture that material? Can we use it in a digester or at a compost facility?" Kirk asked.

Listen above to hear what the anaerobic digester does, and how Kirk’s project is recycling material to create electricity at the Detroit Zoo.

1 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

2 anaerobic   

adj.厌氧的

参考例句：

• Anaerobic respiration occurs only in particularly active tissues such as muscles during severe exercise. 厌氧呼吸只有在处于剧烈运动状态的肌肉等特别活跃的组织中才会发生。
• Infection,especially anaerobic infection, is much more apt to occur.感染，特别是厌氧感染很容易发生。

3 digestion   

n.消化，吸收

参考例句：

• This kind of tea acts as an aid to digestion.这种茶可助消化。
• This food is easy of digestion.这食物容易消化。

4 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。