We'd Rather Roll in Ours, Thanks
European countries are utilizing “waste-to-energy” incineration facilities to reduce energy costs and reliance on oil and gas. This has the added benefit of cleaning up the environment, diminishing the use of landfills and cutting carbon dioxide emissions. There are 400 plants in operation across Europe. The countries of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands have the most plants in operation and under construction.
According the the NY Times, “The facilities run so cleanly that many times more dioxin is now released from home fireplaces and backyard barbecues than from incineration.”
Denmark uses these plants in it’s 98 municipalities, providing energy for 5.5 million people and now considers waste a viable alternative fuel source.
Also from the NY Times article:
By contrast, no new waste-to-energy plants are being planned or built in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency says — even though the federal government and 24 states now classify waste that is burned this way for energy as a renewable fuel, in many cases eligible for subsidies. There are only 87 trash-burning power plants in the United States, a country of more than 300 million people, and almost all were built at least 15 years ago.
The environmentalists and the NIMBYs are going to have to educate themselves and accept the fact that we can’t keep hoping that the average American will suddenly wake up and accept responsibility for the amount of trash they produce. That approach has done little to curb smoking, over eating, selling rotten mortgages and etc.
If we truly want to consider every environmentally friendly option, it comes down to this or reducing waste by government regulation on business and consumers.
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Hey America! You’re doing it wrong!!!!
April 15, 2010 — greengoddessloveWe'd Rather Roll in Ours, Thanks
European countries are utilizing “waste-to-energy” incineration facilities to reduce energy costs and reliance on oil and gas. This has the added benefit of cleaning up the environment, diminishing the use of landfills and cutting carbon dioxide emissions. There are 400 plants in operation across Europe. The countries of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands have the most plants in operation and under construction.
According the the NY Times, “The facilities run so cleanly that many times more dioxin is now released from home fireplaces and backyard barbecues than from incineration.”
Denmark uses these plants in it’s 98 municipalities, providing energy for 5.5 million people and now considers waste a viable alternative fuel source.
Also from the NY Times article:
The environmentalists and the NIMBYs are going to have to educate themselves and accept the fact that we can’t keep hoping that the average American will suddenly wake up and accept responsibility for the amount of trash they produce. That approach has done little to curb smoking, over eating, selling rotten mortgages and etc.
If we truly want to consider every environmentally friendly option, it comes down to this or reducing waste by government regulation on business and consumers.
Like this: