Roads are made of asphalt, an environmentally polluting petroleum product. Researchers have been looking for a low-cost, sustainable replacement. Now they have found that pig manure is rich in oils very similar to petroleum, at a grade too low to make gasoline but suited for asphalt. The group developed a process that turns the waste into a black crude—the sticky binder that can be used to make asphalt. The cost to process the manure oil is $0.56 a gallon, which is much cheaper and greener than current petroleum binders.
Sustainable road building: Pig manure can replace asphalt
More of Today's Solutions
White-tailed eagles return to southern England after 240-year hiatus
For centuries, there's been an eagle-shaped hole in the skies over England where the majestic white-tailed eagle once soared. The enormous raptor — its ...
Read MoreStudy: Drinking the right amount of caffeine may lower diabetes risks
While too much caffeine from coffee may cause unpleasant side effects such as anxiety or insomnia, that doesn’t mean you should cut your caffeine ...
Read MoreTransforming migrant rhetoric is key in preventing genocides
The recent outbreak of war in Ukraine has forced many refugees to seek safety in countries throughout Europe. They are one part of a ...
Read MoreThese microbes could help honey bees thrive
As we like to remind our readers a lot at The Optimist Daily, honeybees are essential for our planet's ecosystem. Humans rely on these ...
Read More
