Bioremeditation consultant discusses ‘closing the loop’ – leaving little to no waste

By Crystal Garcia
The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE January 30, 2008 11:43 pm

— Dr. Dennis Evers was bringing people into the loop Wednesday night at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s “Focusing our Community” event.
Evers, a bioremediation consultant/global warming specialist, gave a 30-minute presentation to between 30 and 35 people in Hatfield Hall Theater about “closing the loop,” or utilizing everything used in a system leaving little to no waste.
“Focusing our Community” was part of the Green House Network’s national “Focus the Nation” educational program, described as the largest teach-in in U.S. history. The program began Wednesday and will continue through today with 15 Indiana colleges and more than 1,100 nationally participating.
He said he hoped people took away “an appreciation and realization that the future of the world is in our hands.
“There’s technology that’s available, technology already existing in the commercial world which would help and assist that concept,” Evers said, “and to just get people to be more open-minded as to change and development.”
One example Evers used of a closed system was to change waste into a single cell protein or organic fertilizer.
His presentation also touched on the controversial topic of ethanol plants.
While a downside of the plants has been their large water consumption, with Evers’ model about 90 percent of the water could be re-used, he said.
“That’s the whole purpose of a total closed-loop system,” Evers said, “and it really is a total closed-loop system.”
As the president and principal consultant of EversTech LLC, a consultancy and process design company for bio-engineered systems for pollution control, alternative and sustainable energy and resource recovery, Evers has set up various systems around the world with only one in the United States.
There’s a single cell protein producing system Evers started last year in Fresno, Calf., but they are now looking to change over to getting energy also.
A single cell protein is surface bacteria that dies after it has done its job, but it needs to be harvested because it will keep growing.
Mariah Walton, a Rose-Hulman senior from El Paso, Texas, enjoyed Evers’ presentation because it showed how various recycling processes flaws could be corrected.
“It was neat to see with just a few implementations it can be much improved,” Walton said about ethanol plants.
Assistant English Professor Mark Minster invited Evers to speak because he wanted someone who could speak to the concerns of the students as engineers, he said.
Minster said he hoped the students learned more about closing the loop or living “cradle to cradle” and not “cradle to grave.” He also wanted the students to see that people can do things right and make money at the same time.
Still, Evers said people need to not be scared of the unknown and keep an open mind when it comes to the environment.
“ … If we don’t do something soon, I’ll tell you what, Mother Nature’s going to give up on us,” he said, “and turn her back on us, you know. I firmly believe that.”
Crystal Garcia can be reached at (812) 231-4271 or crystal.garcia@tribstar.com.