CHICAGO -- A unique climate change fighting machine is being used to divert thousands of pounds of food waste from landfills, as well as feed people and heat city homes in a clean and sustainable way.

The idea of converting organic household waste into energy for cooking is certainly an appealing one, but getting a biogas system up and running in your own backyard can be quite an undertaking.

There’s a “cow” in Sacramento State’s BAC Yard, but don’t expect it to moo. Sac State Sustainability’s new food waste digester not only turns kitchen scraps into safe, nutrient-rich fertilizer, it ...