Part 2 Apocolypse Cow

[cakadu]

After finally getting to see Part 2, I missed Part 1, I have to agree with les and gwf in the other thread that other than a couple of inconsistencies, the program was relatively accurate in terms of what is happening out there in the industry. There was some air time for groups like BIG C and the Peace Tender group that gave mention of the alternative things that people are trying.

The inconsistencies came, as far as I can tell, with respect to the Japanese consumer who lost confidence in the beef industry because the affected animal became part of the human food chain, which did not happen here. I wonder how different things would have been if the other scenario i.e. became part of the food chain would have played out. Fortunately we will never have to know the outcome of it. We still must be grateful to the Canadian consumer for staying on side with us.

One comment made in the program by Brian Evans was that to test every animal would cost millions of dollars. What I wonder about is would beef producers have given up the so-called aid packages in order to fund and set up a surveillance system? Given what we now know in terms of the packers receiving the bulk of the money, would it have been money better spent?

I truly believe that things like this are a societal issue, therefore it should be handled by and for society as a whole and not just dependent on one group to ensure that it is carried out.

The other thing that I totally agree with is that any animal renderings should not make it back into animal feeds going to animals that will become part of the human food chain. Period.

Yes, the rendering companies will be up in arms and the first question asked is what are we going to do with all of it? Well, up until now they haven't had to think of anything, but what if they started to look at options? Co-generation plants definitely come to mind. Think about the potential to create sustainable renewable energy systems. It should be a high priority for study at the new prion lab that is going to be be built at the U of A.

There are so many positives to come out of all of this. Let's just hope that an open border will not pre-empt what so many people have put their heart and soul into.

[cowman]

What plans do the proposed slaughter plants have for disposal of waste ? Cogeneration is a very expensive alternative but if it is working in Gr. Britain, then it should work here.

[WoolyBear]

The "officials of the day" all say that the necessary tests are too expensive. WHY NOT do the quick test on everything, then do the complete test on the positive reactive samples only? The quick test might be too sensitive, but it would also narrow down the full test sample too.

[cakadu]

Like any new technology, co-generation is expensive now. As it becomes more popular and more uses get found for it, like everything else, it will come down in price. I believe that in time this will be how both processing wastes and manure will be handled. Certainly for manure it will render it harmless and it can be spread as compost.

I agree Woolybear, is the cost of not doing it at all going to be far greater?

Gee, maybe they could take some of that money from the war on duck hunters - affectionately known as the gun registry - and use it for a much more worthwhile cause.

[cakadu]

manure does build up the soil, and saves on fertilizer costs at the same time. Compost is now regulated, compost containing agricultural materials, manure etc. is regulated by the NRCB, while compost containing dead livestock is regulated by AAFRD Regulatory Services.

[hgb]

As to the question of how these plants will dispose of waste, Rancher's Own meats is planning to put waste materials through a bio-digester creating fertilizer, supposedly doing this will not cost the plant any money, as they are left with an organic fertilizer to sell.

[kato]

There is a small plant running near us that is using an incinerator for it's waste. They are quite happy with that. They say it can handle 3000 pounds of waste materials at a time, and leaves very little residue.

[cakadu]

HGB, that is one of the many income streams that could be realized through the use of biodigesters. Another is power to sell to the grid, water that is able to be reused and the water could even be sold to pump down oil wells thereby relieving the burden of fresh water being pumped down the holes.

There are likely many options out there for disposing of the wastes. Some in all likelihood were cost prohibitive in the past but times and technology change so what may have been costly before is now maybe more of a viable option.

How much better would it be if we looked at this from a positive perspective and tried to work with it, versus burying our heads in the sand so to speak and ignoring it.

It seems to me that if you ban all rendered parts from animal feed, then that begins to open the doors for other things.

The fact that many of the largest feed mills are part of these big conglomerates is a point that should not be overlooked. They have a vested interest in not doing it because it means looking elsewhere for protein sources and having to pay more to produce feed. In many respects its no different than the oil companies using water for injection - it is free. There are other alternatives to bring the oil out of the ground - they have to pay for them so they don't want to use them.

If we don't feed rendered animal parts to animals, then we simply eliminate one means of potential transmission for disease. Kind of a no-brainer, don't you think?

[cowman]

In reality bio gas digesters work out financially for one reason...and one reason alone...government money! Now I'm not knocking that but really consider the big picture?
The government creates these silly regulations...and then proposes a solution? Of course the solution isn't feasible unless more money is thrown in the pot! Which creates all kinds of opportunities to increase the beuracracy and therfore opportunities for patronage and graft? You just have to know how to get in on that graft?
Bio digesters are the future without a doubt! A good idea that almost all of us could take advantage of if the whole thing was left to the private sector?
Unfortunately what will happen is this: The government will get into it and build very expensive white elephants that will never be cost effective? The taxpayer will fund these white elephants and help to pay for all the idiot beurocrats "administrating" them. The smart money will be the old boys picking off the lucrative government contracts to build and run these little economic disasters! Now it might take knowing the right person...or at least paying the right person under the table! But then that is business, in Canada, these days?

[cakadu]

Cowman, any of the biodigesters that I've heard of have had government money granted to them in terms of feasibility studies, but that is where the government money stops. If the study pans out, it is then up to the private sector to bring it to fruition. I don't believe the digester at the Iron Creek Colony has much in the way of government money and if they do it is a minimal investment. In fact, it was the biodigester at Iron Creek that got Shirley looking at it more closely, but it hasn't progressed beyond the looking stage that I know of.


(What do you mean by graft? It is a term I've not heard before - at least outside of a medical procedure.)

[cowman]

Graft: corrupt gains or practices in politics...Websters definition. Not necessarily illegal...sort of a "one hand washes the other" type of philosophy? In other words how most governments(and businesses!) operate today! I suppose adscan would be a good example?
The whole way these biodigesters are financed tells the real story? The plant at Iron creek was 100% financed with government loans and 0 dollars actually laid on the table? Which is just fine but check out who gets stuck with the bill if it goes down? And who put up any collateral?...only the government.
So defacto what happened? The government built a biodigester for the Hutterites at Iron Creek.
Also I will point out Iron Creek was never built with the idea the methane was anything more than a side benifit? The really important product was the recycled water?
And also there are biodigesters being built all over the world with no government backing or for that matter any great expense? In China practically every houshold has a biodigester that provides all their cooking fuel. Of course they don't have a hundred government hoops to jump through before they can build it!
Any feasability study that says a biodigester is financially feasable on the prairies is in fact "cooked"? Not because they can't be built and maybe even turn a profit, but precisely because the government has to be involved!
Oh, and incidently the bio gas plant at Iron Creek is presently not operating.