Aerobic Digestion – is the process of breakdown of food by aerobic (which means with oxygen) bacteria and enzymes. Aerobic bacteria use free dissolved oxygen (O2) in their life processes to oxidize food, breaking it down into its component parts and into a form that can be absorbed into the cell structures of plants or animals.
Anaerobic Digestion - is the process of breakdown of wastes by anaerobic (which means without oxygen) bacteria. Aerobic bacteria use free dissolved oxygen (O2) in their life processes while anaerobic bacteria survive without free oxygen. Instead, they get their oxygen supply by breaking down wastes and converting them to other products. For example, they convert carbon dioxide (CO2) to methane (CH4) or sulfates (SO4) to hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
In the anaerobic process, a type of bacteria (acid-forming) converts organic wastes into organic acids. In another stage, another type of bacteria (methane fermenters) converts organic acids into by-products like methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. (Source: Yahoo.com questions).
Anaerobic digestion is almost as old as the planet itself. It is a process that, in the absence of oxygen, converts organic carbon into carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4)-a concoction called biogas. Biogas is a methane rich gas produced by the anaerobic digestion of animal dung, human sewage and/or organic waste. Biogas also contains carbon dioxide which can be used as an energy source. (Source: US EPA – Region9/ Organics)
Biodiesel - is a domestic, renewable fuel for diesel engines derived from natural oils like soybean oil, and which meets the specifications of ASTM D 6751. The technical definition of biodiesel is a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats, designated B100, and meeting the requirements of ASTM D 6751. (Source: National Biodiesel Board).
Carbon Credits - are a key component of national and international emissions trading schemes that have been implemented to mitigate global warming. They provide a way to reduce greenhouse effect emissions on an industrial scale by capping total annual emissions and letting the market assign a monetary value to any shortfall through trading. Credits can be exchanged between businesses or bought and sold in international markets at the prevailing market price. Credits can be used to finance carbon reduction schemes between trading partners and around the world. (Source: Wikipedia).
Carbon Dioxide - A naturally occurring gas, and also a by-product of burning fossil fuels and biomass, as well as land-use changes and other industrial processes. It is the principal anthropogenic greenhouse gas that affects the Earth's radiative balance. It is the reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are measured and therefore has a Global Warming Potential of 1. (Source: US EPA – climate change)
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent - A metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based upon their global warming potential (GWP). Carbon dioxide equivalents are commonly expressed as "million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMTCO2Eq)." The carbon dioxide equivalent for a gas is derived by multiplying the tons of the gas by the associated GWP. The use of carbon equivalents (MMTCE) is declining. (Source: US EPA – climate change)
Compost - Composting involves the aerobic biological decomposition of organic materials to produce a stable humus-like product. Biodegradation is a natural, ongoing biological process that is a common occurrence in both human-made and natural environments. (Source: US EPA).
Enzymatic Digestion - the process of utilizing enzymes to break down organics/ food residuals into their carbon based components. An enzyme is a protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a living organism. An enzyme acts as catalyst for specific chemical reactions, converting a specific set of reactants (called substrates) into specific products. (Source: Webster Medical Dictionary).
Food Residuals – are composed of trimmings and scraps of plant and animal products discarded during food preparation, outdated foods, and the excess food discarded after use. Food residuals are kept fresh through the use of insulated containers, frequent collection, and refrigeration, to preserve their value prior to aerobic enzymatic digestion into hydrolysate.
Hydrolysate - the liquid produced from the enzymatic digestion of food residuals, which breaks down cell walls and releases water contained within cells. This hydrolysate is rich in nutrients for building healthy soils and for subsequent release to the plants.
Landfill - Land waste disposal site in which waste is generally spread in thin layers, compacted, and covered with a fresh layer of soil each day. (Source: US EPA climate change)
Methane - (CH4) is a principal component of natural gas. It is also formed and released to the atmosphere by biological processes occurring in anaerobic environments. Once in the atmosphere, methane absorbs terrestrial infrared radiation that would otherwise escape to space. This property can contribute to the warming of the atmosphere, which is why methane is a greenhouse gas.
Methane is produced through anaerobic (without oxygen) decomposition of waste in landfills, animal digestion, decomposition of animal wastes, production and distribution of natural gas and petroleum, coal production, and incomplete fossil fuel combustion.
Methane is about 23 times more powerful at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2) by weight. Methane's chemical lifetime in the atmosphere is approximately 12 years. Methane’s relatively short atmospheric lifetime, coupled with its potency as a greenhouse gas, makes it a candidate for mitigating global warming over the near-term (i.e., next 25 years or so). (Source: US EPA climate change glossary)
Microbes - A very tiny form of life -- microbes include bacteria, fungi, and protozoan parasites -- best visualized under a microscope. (source: Webster Medical Dictionary)
OMRI Certified - The federal Certified Organic Label, USDA Organic, allows only certain regulated products as listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI).
Organic - Organic crops are raised without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Animals raised on an organic operation must be fed organic feed and given access to the outdoors. They are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.
The OFPA (Organic Food Products Act) and the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations require that agricultural products labeled as organic originate from farms or handling operations certified by a State or private entity that has been accredited by USDA. The NOP is a marketing program housed within the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. (Source: National Organic Program).
Soil Amendment - The term soil amendment refers to any material mixed into a soil. By legal definition, soil amendments make no legal claims about nutrient content or other helpful (or harmful) effects it will have on the soil and plant growth. By legal definition, the term fertilizer refers to a soil amendment that guarantees the minimum percentages of nutrients (at least the minimum percentage of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash). (Source: Colorado State University Master Gardeners program).
