05/07/07 Beer Power

Back when I was in college at ASU many moons ago, there was nothing deemed "cooler" then carting a can of foster beer. Something about its massive size and Australian connection resonated with the baseball and rugby set. It's a new generation of college kids much more environmentally astute than we ever were, so it goes to reason that the beer they opt to consume should be as well. Thus the Australian beer maker, Foster's, has teamed up with scientists at the University of Queensland to develop a method in which brewery waste can be transformed into a fuel cell that not only produces electricity but also clean water. While the battery will not light the world on fire it will be able to generate enough power to light a household. Both the University and Fosters are hoping to illuminate the fact that other breweries and distilleries can produce energy from waste. The waste produced from these outfits is highly concentrated mix of sugar, starch and alcohol, nearly the same concoction that has been "fueling" wild times on campuses' for generations!