Unusual Energy Sources

 by Wilf Brown

With the price of energy rising at a rapid rate, and that also affecting the cost of living, the demand for renewable energy sources are becoming greater than ever before. In an attempt to meet this demand, several countries have created unusual (to say the least) energy sources. These sources may seem a bit odd, maybe even wacky, but they are effective in creating energy.  

The first source can be found in South Korea, where Professor Cho Jaeweon’s has invented and developed a toilet that is able to turn genuine human waste into electricity. This contraption is known as the “BeeVi” toilet (see above, right). It takes the waste and uses technology to turn it into a gas that can then be used as an effective source of energy. 

Next is literally based on dancing. This is not a rare source, as several companies have developed dancefloors that can turn a person’s footwork into electricity. However, in a nightclub in Glasgow, Scotland, instead of using people’s dancing, they use the body heat from hundreds of clubbers to generate power. 

In Argentina, cows are fitted with special backpacks with the task of simply collecting cows’ farts. These farts (burps as well) actually contain a high amount of methane gas, which can be easily used to generate power. 

Scientists in Sweden have been making good use of their large amount of jellyfish. They have been able to take the cells from jellyfish in special devices and convert them into electricity. Specifically, the cells they use are the protein that makes a jellyfish glow, which can be used to create an electrical current. 

To conclude, many countries have come with irregular solutions for the growing requests for renewable energy. Some of these ideas may sound extremely odd, and yet they are, in my opinion at least, genuinely effective methods which we should all consider embracing in these difficult economic times.