... and the bear

the official blog of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District

Since 1989, Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) has distributed funds from a 1/10 of 1% sales and use tax to cultural facilities throughout the seven-county Denver, Colorado metropolitan area. The funds support cultural facilities whose primary purpose is to enlighten and entertain the public through the production, presentation, exhibition, advancement and preservation of art, music, theatre, dance, zoology, botany, natural history and cultural history.

Photobucket Learn about the interworkings of the SCFD and cultural happenings around the seven county metro area with your guide, Erica, Program Assistant for SCFD. Have a suggestion for an event? Are you an SCFD organization that wants to be reviewed? Shoot me an email at erica@scfd.org.

Colorado counties include Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson. Everything written here is personal opinion and not intended to infer official judgment on the part of the SCFD, board members, or other staff.

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Poo Powered?

Yup you heard right!  The Denver Zoo will be implementing a biomass gasification system, for their Asian Tropics exhibit, that will be converting everything from animal wastes to trash into usable energy.  Biomass technology sounds pretty fancy, but it is not anything new.  Gasification has been around for 180 years and it has been used for everything from power plants to running vehicles, according to Wikipedia anyway.  So you might be asking yourself what exactly is biomass gasification?  Gasification is “the conversion of solid fuel into combustible gas which can then be converted into electricity and heat” (Denver Zoo).  So really the zoo is being innovative in the fact that they are revitalizing an old technology that is both economical and environmental for our current circumstances; I guess sometimes we just need to look to the past to move forward! 

 When Asian Tropics opens in 2012 (which I can’t wait for), 90% of the zoo’s waste will be run through the biomass gasification system and converted to energy for the new exhibit.  The zoo estimates that the gasification system will save approximately $150,000 per year in utilities.  Also, implementing gasification will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the zoo’s contribution to landfills by 1.5 million pounds of waste per year.  Truly Amazing!

 “As an organization dedicated to wildlife conservation, Denver Zoo is trying to be as environmentally conscious as possible, in every facet of our organization. We’re encouraging others to do the same. It’s amazing how small changes can result in tremendous positive impact, especially when many people practice them over time.”     
—Denver Zoo President/CEO Craig Piper

Check out this link to learn more about gasification at the Denver Zoo and the many other green initiatives the zoo is undertaking.  http://www.denverzoo.org/conservation/green.asp

Thanks for all that you do with your poo at the zoo!  

 

Are you an SCFD organization doing something exceptionally great or innovative?  Send me an email at erica@scfd.org!