The Finalists of Climate Change Green Innovations 2009: Mootral and Ceiling Tiles
3. Mootral Neem Biotech, UK
Mootral Neem Biotech-the finalist of Climate Change Innovation Competition 2009
Mootral is a garlic-based feed additive that reduces the methane produced by cows, sheep and other ruminants.
The extract is a natural antibiotic that limits the growth of bacteria in the ruminant’s stomach. The key ingredient is allicin, a compound derived from garlic, which reduced methane production by 94 per cent in a laboratory trial simulating ruminants’ digestive processes. Animal trials have succeeded in cutting methane emissions by 15%, and they are continuing to work out the optimum dosage and frequency.
Methane is a greenhouse gas 22 times more potent than carbon dioxide. it is estimated that the digestive processes of the world’s herds and flocks are responsible for 20 per cent of global warming.
Neem Biotech, which is already producing the additive on a commercial scale for Carbon Mootral CIC (Community Interest Company), points out that the feed additives can get to work straight away.
“Many carbon-offsetting initiatives are frustratingly long-term, but Mootral can reduce methane emissions with immediate effect,” says director Professor Jeremy Stone.
The product also has potential for implementation on a global scale. Estonia is already implementing an emissions tax for farmers ‘per ruminant capita’, with Denmark and Ireland still chewing the idea over. “Meat production is huge in terms of business interests and livelihoods. This is a way to cut down on emissions without taxing beef.”
Professor Stone suggests the airline industry could assist in the roll-out of the project. “Airlines have a vast carbon footprint to mitigate,” he says. By encouraging their passengers to purchase carbon-offsetting credits, they could finance the distribution of the additive to farms beneath their flight path, and gain ‘Mootral’ status.
“A novel idea with the potential to have a real impact in reducing carbon emissions from the food chain”, Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive, Tesco
4. Ceiling Tiles Loughborough University, UK
Ceiling Tiles-the finalist of Climate Change Innovation Competition 2009
Loughborough University has produced ceiling tiles that can cool rooms with minimal energy use.
Instead of pumping cool air into a room, a false ceiling uses convection to draw warm exhaust air from the room. The air evaporates water held in a wick surface in the tiles, and the tiles cool instantly. Moreover, they don’t clog and the materials don’t degrade, so there are no significant maintenance costs.
“If you dip your hand into water and blow over it, you instantly feel cooler. Evaporation is a very powerful mechanism,” Dr Harry Salt explains. “To cool a room with a floor area of 100m2 you only need two cubic centimeters of water per second – and the effect is instantaneous.”
Dr Salt and his colleague Professor Dennis Loveday have spent the last ten years developing an effective cooling system that uses minimal energy. It can replace a traditional air conditioning system in most climates or, if used alongside AC, will halve overall energy consumption.
“This is something I’ve taken very personally because of the vast potential it has,” Dr Salt explains. “Air conditioning accounts for three per cent of the UK’s electricity, so if our system were to be rolled out it could save 1.5 per cent of that electricity. That’s two million tonnes of carbon a year.”
Dr Salt and Professor Loveday are hoping to have their tiles on the market by 2010. The product is in final trials, but they need to invest more time and money in demonstration and marketing. They anticipate a significant export potential to the United States and other hot climates.
Dr Salt says: “If it’s too hot, it’s harder for people to work. Global warming will see increased demand for cooling, and this innovation can provide cooling with minimal energy usage.”
“This is an innovative design that will likely provide emissions reductions in building cooling systems”, Eileen Claussen, president of Strategies for the Global Environment and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change
The long-list
Clean Gas Technology
“Thermal plasma” – gas heated to over 3000C – is used to treat combustion gases from factories and power plants and separate carbon and other pollutants. The technology has a valuable byproduct: raw materials that can be used to make products like plastics or paint. (CarbonoBrasil, Brazil)
Low-cost Bamboo Housing
Pre-fabricated housing kits made from bamboo will meet the growing demand for affordable housing in Latin America. The project aims to reduce demand for timber from rainforest trees and the use of expensive, energy-intensive materials like concrete and steel. (C02 BAMBU, USA/Nicaragua)
Biogas from Cassava Waste
Methane emitted from cassava crop waste will be used to generate zero emissions energy. The process will prevent emissions from rotting crops and create cheap, renewable, grid-connected electricity and organic fertiliser for low-income farmers. (GNEEDER, Nigeria)
Consumer Solar Packages
Owners of large-scale residential or commercial real-estate are offered free installation of solar thermal technology in return for signing a long-term utility agreement to purchase energy at a capped discounted rate. The innovative business model removes the key barriers to adoption: up-front costs and the risk of energy price fluctuations.(Lumen Earth, Canada)
Solar Powered ICT Centres
A franchise network of solar-powered multi-media service centres aims to transform impoverished communities in developing countries. They will provide computers with Internet access and a cinema, offering a portfolio of pay-per-use entertainment and education services. (NICE International, Gambia)
Customised Climate Forecasting
An easy-to-use, web-based tool will provide businesses and governments with the information they need to adapt to climate change. It will show how changes of temperature, rainfall and winds are likely to affect specific locations in the future, enabling customers to develop strategies for minimising risk. (Svante Scientific, Inc., USA)
Texting for shared taxis
This system will allow people to text their travel destinations to a central computer that will arrange for customers going to the same place to share taxi. It is designed to reduce congestion and fuel usage and meet the demand for quick and safe travel. (Texxi, United Kingdom)
See more finalists of Climate Change Green Innovations 2009:
The Winner of Climate Change Green Innovations 2009
The Finalists of Climate Change Green Innovations 2009: The Black Phantom and Deflecktors
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