The Toronto Zoo wants to use the manure produced by its animals
to generate its electricity, which seems like a perfect scenario
for a zoo. The problem is the biogas electricity plant would
cost CDN $13 million (US $10.5 million), a sum of money the zoo
doesn't have. The City of Toronto says that it doesn't have the
money to loan the zoo, which has lead the zoo on a search for
private investors. The zoo claims that a biogas electricity
plant run on its animals' waste would not only produce enough
power for its own operations, but enough to sell back to the
grid that the project would pay for itself within five years. If
the zoo is able to secure funding, the power plant could begin
construction in 2009. I always root for scenarios like these
where an area or company has a lot of an unusual resource and
they come up with a way to harness its potential. The Japanese
airport that will begin using snow to cool its buildings is
another great example of this type of innovation. I hope that
the zoo gets its funding,