Cornell Climate Change

Program or topic

Cornell Manure Management Program

Department(s) or unit(s)

• Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering
• Department of Crop and Soil Sciences

Contact information

Norm Scott
Professor, Biological and Environmental Engineering
(607)255-4473
nrs5@cornell.edu

Jean Bonhotal
Senior Extension Associate, Crop and Soil Sciences
(607) 255-8444
jb29@cornell.edu

Program goals

To communicate research findings to the agricultural sector regarding manure treatment and management technologies. This includes topics such as production of bio-energy and the reduction of environmental costs associated with waste disposal.

Brief Description

The Cornell Manure Management Program disseminates cutting edge information on manure treatment and management technologies, including composting, anaerobic digestion, biogas conversion, fuel cells, and more.

Since returning to the faculty in 1998, Norm Scott has focused his research on sustainable development. This research is dedicated to the development of sustainable communities with emphasis on biologically derived fuels, renewable energy, recycling, managed ecosystems and industrial ecology. The concept of sustainable development is a driving force in creating a “vision” for change to integrate renewable energy and entrepreneurial enterprises to provide opportunities for agro-eco-industrial development of sustainable communities around the world and to develop eco-cities which can change dramatically the way we live in the future and potentially create carbon neutrality.

The production and transportation of synthetic agricultural fertilizers contributes to the release of significant amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Jean Bonhotal is helping relieve this environmental stress and providing farmers with sustainable fertilizer alternatives through the design and implementation of waste management programs throughout New York State.

For more information

Websites:

• Cornell Manure Management Program
• Cow Power
• Norm Scott’s Home Page
• Jean Bonhotal’s Home Page

Key publications:

• Scott, N. R., et. al. 1997. Agricultural and biological systems. In Engineering Response to Global Climate Change: Planning a Research and Development Agenda, edited by Robert G. Watts. Lewis Publishers, 339-74
• Ma, J., N.R. Scott, S.D. DeGloria and A.J. Lembo. 2005. Siting analysis of farm-based centralized anaerobic digester systems for distributed generation using GIS. Biomass and Bioenergy. Volume 28, Issue 6, June, Pages 591-600.
• Scott, N. R. 2008. Nanobiotechnology, Renewable Energy, Sustainability, and the Future. Resources. Volume 15, No. 7. Pages 17-20
• Ma, J and N. R. Scott. 2009. Utilizing Organic Wastes as Renewable Energy Resources submitted to Biomas and bioenergy
• Bonhotal, J.F., Harrison, E.Z., Schwarz, M., Gruttadaurio, J. Petrovic, A. Martin. 2007. Using Manure-Based Composts in Turf Maintenance. Cornell Waste Management Institute. http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/turf.htm.
• Schwarz, M., Bassuk, N., Bonhotal, J., and Harrison, E.Z. 2007. Highly Compacted Soils Improved by Compost Use. BioCycle. 48(7):55-56.