On the surface, burning biogas appears to be one of the simplest and best solutions to two environmental issues: clean energy and waste disposal.
Decomposing trash and biomass give off methane, which is 21 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Methane can also be burned to create electricity, while releasing very few emissions.
As a result, U.S. trash haulers like Waste Management and Allied Waste are rapidly expanding the number of gas-to-energy projects at their landfills, and companies like GE are developing technologies to speed up the process by vaporizing garbage into gas, which can then be burned for power.
The process has definite benefits in dealing with municipal waste, but should it be classified as a renewable energy source? Are the waste products of a consumer-based society renewable, or does the system encourage greater consumption and less recycling?
A series of Reuters articles examines the technologies, companies and ethics involved in the growing waste-to-energy sector.
- "Garbage is Dirty, But Is It a Clean Fuel?"
- "Venture Capitalist Sees Waste As Feedstock For Energy"
- "Modern-Day Alchemy: Turning Trash Into Power"
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