Waste to Fuels
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a platform for treating wet organic wastes (e.g. manure and food waste) by converting the material into methane-rich biogas and liquid and solid fractions that are rich in carbon and nutrients. Our programmatic efforts in AD included quantifying the climate, air, water, nutrient and economic impacts of integrating emerging, next-generation technologies within AD systems to enable our dairy farms to address sustainability concerns into the future. Specific projects we have worked on include Anaerobic Digestion Systems, Waste to Fuels Technology, WSU Biomass Program (Appendix A), and USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants.
Climate Friendly Farming
Managing farms in an uncertain climate future is increasingly recognized as a serious sustainability challenge. Our programming efforts focus on understanding options for reducing the energy, nutrient and carbon footprint of farms as well as providing knowledge and tools to improve decision-making for agricultural investment, technology adoption, and management decisions under increasing climate uncertainty. Specific projects we have worked on include REACCH, BioEarth, and partnerships with USDA Northwest Climate Hub.
Securing Water for Agriculture
The availability and management of agricultural water in the Western U.S. is critical to viable and sustainable farms. Competing demands, climate change and variability, and water quality concerns all are all threats to maintaining future water supplies for agriculture. Our team collaborates with other scientists, agency personnel and agricultural stakeholders to assess and evaluate challenges to agricultural water management in the US Northwest. Specific projects we have worked on include the Columbia River Supply and Demand Forecast (2011, 2016), BioEarth, WISDM, and the Columbia River Food-Energy-Water Nexus.
AgClimate.net
The Agriculture Climate Network is a web-based hub for data, analysis and communication between regional scientists and stakeholders about the implications of climate change for agricultural and natural resources in the US Northwest. A consortium of institutions including Oregon State University, University of Idaho, Washington State University, and the USDA Northwest Climate Hub contribute content to this site and share articles and analyses.
About Climate, Energy & Water
Publications
- Climate Change (carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, climate impact / adaptation)
- Waste to Fuels (anaerobic digestion, biochar, energy)
- Columbia River Forecast
