Do you KNOW HOW?
There are many energy sources besides fossil fuels. You can use solar panels, wind turbines or alternative fuels like ethanol, which is made from corn. But what about tapping into animal power? Here's a moooo-ving question: How can you get electricity from a cow?

Need a CLUE?
We're Ryan and Rebecca and we know electricity comes from a generator. The key to a generator is a metal coil that spins inside a magnet. Rebecca thought her pet cow Goldie could make the metal coil spin. We attached a rope to Goldie's harness. When Goldie moved forward she pulled the rope which turned the metal coil. But it took a lot of effort to get Goldie to move. She just didn't want to work! Do you have a better idea for getting electricity from a cow?

Go ahead... GUESS HOW!
Here are a few other ideas from DFTV kid scientists!

1. Use milk to power a turbine.

Hydro-electric plants power about 10% of the nation's electricity. But using milk instead of water to turn a turbine has not been tried.

2. Cows walking on a conveyor belt.

It would be tough to get the cow onto a conveyor belt. Then you'd have the same problem as Ryan and Rebecca, getting the cow to move.

3. Use cow pies.

WOW! You're right!
It may stink, but poop is the answer! Cow waste, and excrement from other animals, produces a gas called methane. Farmers scoop the poop and store it in a holding tank. As the poop decomposes it releases methane gas. The gas is burned, which heats up water to make steam. The steam propels electric generators. The leftover manure gets used as fertilizer. The bottom line: About 750 cows can power a working farm and 78 other households!