Dairy Cow Manure To Power Children's Train Ride

Blog entry by:
Eric Gieszl, Editor

Sacramento, CA – Don't blink, you read that headline correctly. Yes, the crap from a dairy cow will be powering one of the children's midway rides at the California State Fair. Pacific Gas and Electric Company and developer BioEnergy Solutions has decided to put cow pies, and there's plenty of them at a fair, to good use.

For the first time ever, Ray Cammack Shows "Barnyard Animal Train" children's ride will be powered with renewable biogas made from California dairy cows.

"Powering a children's ride at the state fair with biogas is a celebration of the great efforts of California's dairy farmers to help us meet our energy needs," said PG&E Vice President of Gas Transmission and Distribution Robert T. Howard. "We're proud to partner with these innovative dairy farmers and demonstrate the potential for the state's agriculture and power sectors to work together to meet California's climate goals."

Amusement rides powered by cow waste − ingenious!

So is this monumental event a sign of what's to come at amusement parks? If so, then I guess I should be the first to predict that we'll soon see herds of cows taking up residence at theme parks nationwide.

No longer will green house polluting carbon fuel be used to send thrill-seekers to towering heights and blistering speeds. Instead the crap of a cow will get our adrenaline flowing.

Oh, and just think of the marketing possibilities. Six Flags may start branding cows nationwide to advertise the fact that the cow pie your stepping in also produces thrills!

Let's just hope it doesn't come to the point where we have to cart in a cow pie instead of a Coke can in exchange for a discount at the front gate.

California State Fair and the cow pie powered children's ride in the Kaiser Permanente Kids Park will start Friday, August 15 and run through Labor Day.

For more information, visit calexpo.com.