This innovative, female-led environmental engineering project tackled two massive post-hurricane challenges simultaneously: the overwhelming accumulation of organic storm debris and the pressing need for sustainable, decentralized renewable energy. Executed by Fem Stem and supported by a $10,000 grant, the project focused on researching and piloting the conversion of massive volumes of green waste—such as downed trees, destroyed vegetation, and agricultural offcuts—into usable, renewable biomass energy and high-quality agricultural compost. Following severe storms, the sheer volume of organic debris typically overwhelms local landfills, creating fire hazards and emitting massive amounts of methane as it decays. This initiative sought to fundamentally disrupt that cycle by treating green waste not as garbage, but as a highly valuable renewable resource. By testing small-scale biomass conversion technologies, the project aimed to demonstrate a highly scalable, circular-economy model that could provide off-grid energy alternatives while simultaneously producing rich organic compost to support localized, climate-smart agriculture and community food security across the recovering Bahamian islands.
Start Date
September 2022
