Can animal (including human) manure be used as fuel?
Dear Straight Dope: The other day, I was reminded of the fact that many cultures use dried cow, yak and buffalo manure as fuel. I was wondering: Can the feces of other species (including humans) be used for fuel as well? The heating bills are going to start piling up as winter comes, and I thought a bit of recycling might be in order . . . — Dave Wilbur The waste products of most animals can be used as fuel, and likely have been at one time or another. This isn’t just in so-called primitive cultures, either–many technologically modern nations have studied and implemented both animal and human waste combustion. Although you might wonder why anyone would burn hippopotamus manure or human waste given the many other fuel sources available, two very good reasons drive their utilization. First, animal and human waste is generally considered a renewable energy source and thus can be burned as “green power,” giving the entity combusting the waste (as well as the country in which it resides) a
