Our newest source of energy: trash
I’m encouraged to see that almost every day now, our friendly Boston Globe is covering a story dealing with the environment. In the second time in a few weeks, the Globe has reported on another story about methane, this time from an unlikely source, our trash. As organic matter decomposes, powerful gases such as methane are created over time. According the the article, here are some interesting points:
- methane accounts for 9% of the US greenhouse gas emissions and 16% of the total emissions worldwide
- Landfills make up about 34% of the methane released in the US
- Some 425 American dumps, including 30 in New England, capture methane gas and use it to produce electricity
- Nationwide, 750,000 homes receive their power and nearly 1.2 million residences get their heat from dumps
sal
April 10, 2007 @ 8:57 am
interesting article by CNN on the waste to energy process
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/05/25/landfill.gas/index.html
Should also look at the EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) for more information on what is done in the US.