Define: The problem that I have worked was how methane levels are rising in the atmosphere. Methane is a greenhouse gas that traps heat 80 times more than CO2. Like CO2, Methane traps heat within the Earths Atmosphere, resulting in climate change and global warming. Warmer temperatures leads to a chain of reactions around the world (floods, storms, droughts, and heat waves). Animal agriculture (Mainly cows) is responsible for most methane emissions.

Discover: I have discovered numerous things while exploring this topic. I have found that there is something called “Anaerobic Digestion.” Anaerobic Digestions is a mechanism used to decompose manure into simple organics and gas in the absence of oxygen. It’s a process that uses bacteria to break down animal waste into a methane containing biogas. The biogas is then used as energy to power electricity, heat, cars, and more. With anaerobic digestion, methane can be purified into biomethane and used as a clean renewable energy source. Scientist are now trying to find a way to improve the anaerobic digestion process to increase biogas production rates. I have also discovered that scientist have found a way to reduce a single cows methane emission. Researches have found that putting a seaweed called Asparagopsis taxiformis into a cows diet reduces it’s methane emission by 82%. Now researches need to find a way to produce large amounts of seaweed, enough to make a difference to methane levels.

Deliver: The solution I have created for my problem is a flying a mechanism that can suck in methane from the atmosphere and turn it into pure biomethane. The machine goes through a process in which bacteria is used to break down methane containing air and converts it into biomethane. The clean biomethane will then be transported to the ground to use as a renewable energy source. I have also built a massive seaweed (Asparagopsis taxiformis) farm that will produce enough seaweed to make a difference to methane levels. The seaweed will be harvested and put into cows diets to reduce their methane emission by 82%)

Debrief: I think this project went smoothly start to end. The only trouble I had was figuring out my solution after I discovered my problem. I have had experience with minecraft before so the building process wasn’t too difficult. I thought that making the screen recording would be challenging, however it was much easier than I thought. Researching was straightforward because methane and animal agriculture is a wide topic. I was able to find good information as well as hard facts from credible sources. Again, the only challenging thing was trying to figure out what to build and do for my project. I had trouble figuring out what and what didn’t work and had to revamp my idea a few times. Overall, I thought this project was easygoing, fun, and informative, but it also had its challenges along the way.

Sources:

• “Methane.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/science/methane.
• Methane Emissions Are Driving Climate Change. Here’s How … www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/methane-emissions-are-driving-climate-change-heres-how-reduce-them.
• EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/agstar/how-does-anaerobic-digestion-work.
• JA;, Holmes DE;Smith. “Biologically Produced Methane as a Renewable Energy Source.” Advances in Applied Microbiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27926429/.
• https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/18/cows-seaweed-methane-emissions-scientists
• “Control Methane to Slow Global Warming – Fast.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 25 Aug. 2021, www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02287-y.