Creating clean transport fuels from waste

For all of its bountiful produce, like meat, fish and crops, agriculture also generates considerable waste. Of main concern is methane (CH₄), a gas burped by cows and released by rotting vegetation and manure, because it has a much higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide (CO₂).Researchers are looking at ways to take the methane produced from agricultural and urban waste to produce a cost-effective fuel known as bio-compressed natural gas. Picture: Getty ImagesThat is, methane in the Earth’s atmosphere absorbs much more radiation energy per tonne of gas than CO₂, and so is a significant contributor to global warming. Furthermore, oxidation of methane in the atmosphere leads to the formation of ozone which is another potent greenhouse gas.A solution to engineering energy-saving smart materialsRead moreOur research is looking at ways to flip this relationship, taking…

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