Monday, March 6, 2006
Garbage In, Oil Out
My April 2006 issue of
Discover
magazine arrived today. Oh man, it works! Back in May of 2003,
Discover
first
reported on a process by which garbage can be broken down into simpler
substances. The company doing the work is
Changing World Technologies.
A quick summary: garbage is subjected to high temperature and pressure. Complex
organic structures (like feathers, beaks, & blood) are broken down into
simpler materials like water, calcium, and oil. Yes, oil. The process was
shown to work at a pilot plant and now they've got the industrial sized version
working.
I love it when people create technology that serves the public
good and they can make a buck at it. Why does making a buck matter?
Because money makes the world go round. Capitalism doesn't do anything out of
the kindness of its heart. It has none!
So here's some of the benefits of this technology:
- Reduced demand on foreign oil. Sure, right now it's a drop in the
proverbial bucket, but on a large scale it might put a dent in it. Not only
does that mean a lower trade deficit and more jobs, but it also means a
decreased likelihood of sending our troops into volatile oil producing nations
to support the neocon agenda.
- Clean oil. This process naturally keeps the sulfur content of oil way
down low. Cleaner oil at the refinery means their emissions go down.
- Landfills Disappear. It doesn't matter if you're dumping poultry,
plastic, or tires. This process takes it all in. Set one of these plants up in
the industrial park of your city and there's no longer a need to build mountains
of trash, which don't work by the way. The garbage in landfills is packed so
tight that bio- and photo-degradable materials can't break down.
So if you're not a subscriber, be sure to hit your local newstand as soon as the
April 2006 issue of Discover comes out to the general public.
* Disclaimer: I'm neither employed by Discover
magazine nor its parent company nor Changing World Technologies. I'm also not
invested in any of these companies. The same applies to my friends and family.
I wouldn't mind being an investor in CWT though.;)
November 2008 Update:
Still
struggling with profitability.
1 Comment:
 Alan P. said...
- I like it! I would have to say, though, that capitalism gives billions to
the pharmaceuticals every year for a bird flu vaccine which may never be needed
so it does have a modicum of, ahem, goodness in it's "heart". Glad you posted
this one back to my comments section. I haven't been following your blog that
long so I missed it the first time. :)
- 8/16/2006 11:07 AM
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About Me
Name: DED
Location: United States
I'm a stay-at-home Dad who survived dotcom burnout and a
chemical engineering career that fizzled. Once the kids are in school full time,
I'll need to find a new job, but I'm hoping for a new career: writer.
I'm a moderate
libertarian, rational environmentalist, science and technology enthusiast,
who reads and watches sci-fi, drinks and brews beer, and listens to metal.
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