Down and Dirty: 5 Ways to Go Seriously Green

An Envirolet waterless composting toilet, commercially available from Sancor Industries Ltd. A simpler version was built by hand by members of the Rhizome Collective in Austin, Tex.

(Envirolet)

Top 5: Going Seriously Green

The city dries 30 tons of sludge daily with a natural gas-powered dryer and then hauls it to a landfill. But under a new $3.5 million gasification system, the sludge will be allowed to sit. When it does the gases released create heat, which can replace the natural gas to power the dryer.

The new system is not only greener, it could also save the city $9 to $14 million over 20 years, according to MaxWest.

Pedal Power

The Green Microgym in Portland, Ore., puts its patrons to work, not just through workouts.

This "human-powered" gym is one of the few fitness centers in the world that uses electricity generated by the people working out there, said Adam Boesel, the owner.

As members pedal on stationary bicycles, they turn a small generator, charging batteries that power the gym's television and stereo system.

Boesel said the output is relatively small. But this is just the beginning, he said.

"It's a little humbling -- a person can make about a penny's worth of electricity an hour." said Michael Tagget, president of Henry Works, a firm that makes people-powered generators. "But if 20, 30, 40 people are doing that in a gym, they can do all the electricity for entertainment systems."

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Anaerobic Digesters Turn Waste Into Energy

Don't stand in the way of an anaerobic digester.

This process uses organisms to break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas. That biogas is then used to power electric-generation equipment, like fuel cells or micro turbines.

Of about 16,000 public wastewater plants in the country, 544 use anaerobic digesters. Of those, 106 use the biogas for heating processes or electricity, said Phil Zahreddine, a branch chief with the Environmental Protection Agency.

"What is interesting is that as more projects are coming online and the technology is becoming more efficient, these options are becoming more attractive to facilities," he said.

Waste 'Electrifies' Los Angeles

The city of Los Angeles has a giant TIRE.

The city's Terminal Island Renewable Energy (or TIRE) project involves injecting sludge into a well a mile deep.

At that depth, Earth's high temperature breaks down the organic compounds in the waste to create methane gas. The process also traps greenhouse gases and prevents them from damaging the atmosphere.

By 2012, the project is expected to produce about 3,500 kilowatts of renewable power, which could power thousands of homes.

"This renewable energy project is absolutely electrifying," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told the Los Angeles Times. "It will save money and make money."