On Monday June 3rd I was fortunate to be among those invited by Derek and Lori Mostert to attend the ground breaking ceremony on their farm of Nova Scotia’s first Anaerobic Digester. What struck me as the ceremony unfolded was the minimal amount of media coverage and the complete and total lack of attendance by our government officials. The only person in attendance remotely connected to politics was me, and I am only an MLA candidate. To explain further, an anaerobic digester converts organic material into energy. Through the process, any biodegradable material such as manure, biodegradable garbage, even hay and grass goes through a procedure that includes fermentation, creating a gas that can then be converted into energy or power. This is a process that can take our waste, any biodegradable waste, and convert it into electricity to power our homes and businesses. The energy produced at this one farm will be sold back to Nova Scotia Power, and is enough power to provide for the needs of 300 homes in the area. As I was standing and looking over the farm and pastures during the morning’s events, I couldn’t help but consider the impact these digesters would have not only on our economy but on the environment right here in Nova Scotia. Imagine if they were to be implemented and used on more farms in our rural areas, in our landfill practices and in our sewage treatment methods. I am of the opinion that this would be one of the many processes or methods necessary for a diverse portfolio regarding renewable energy in Nova Scotia. When I consider the potential of tidal energy and wind and anaerobic digestion as clean sources of renewable energy for Nova Scotia, I can’t help but ask why the NDP government is solely focused on Muskrat Falls as the only option to meet our future energy needs when we have so many alternatives for renewable energy right here in our own province. I truly hope this is not the reason for the absence of officials from the Department of Environment, Energy or Agriculture. To me, the implementation of the digester is a big deal, for the Mostert family, for the community, and for not only rural Nova Scotia but for our entire province. -tm
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:27:45 +0000
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