Environmentalists’ Opposition to Waste-to-Energy
ARTICLE AND RECORDING OF FULL PANEL
Compatibility Between Recycling and Waste-to-Energy
RELATED EXCERPTS
Program Barriers to Waste-to-Energy Adoption
Plastics and Green House Gas Emissions from Waste-to-Energy
Why are Recycling Rates Higher in Communities with Waste-to-Energy?
Making the Spittelau Waste-to-Energy Plant Possible
Thanks to the Earth Engineering Center for making this knowledge sharing possible
QUESTION
What accounts to some environmentalists’ opposition to waste-to-energy as a component of the overall waste management system?
Author, Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America
It used to be the case that that was in fact what was happening. If you burn plastic in a backyard barrel, you increase PCBs and other pollutants that are carcinogens. We have advanced technology now that is implemented through the Clean Air Act all over the U.S. waste-to-energy facilities that has reduced those emissions of toxic chemicals by – in the – high 90 percentile range and in some cases well over 99.9 percent. We are doing a very good job, far better than – for instance – coal fired power plants. When you hear the talk about clean coal, its about trying to catch up to what waste-to-energy plants have done a long time ago.
There is a lot of health evidence from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, as well as the British Health Protection Agency that have found that there is really no evidence to show that there is any increase in any kind of measurable health effects between those who live close to a waste-to-energy plant and those who do not. So, the concern is really a left-over and a justifiable left-over, but a left-over from 1970’s and early 1980’s era of thinking.
We just need to educate people to get them to realize that this is no longer the case.
RESOURCES
Article and Comments Section: Waste-to-energy technology is cleaner and safer than generally believed – Shawn Otto (On Minnesota Post) (Comments Section on Ensia)
Report: Recycling and Waste-to-Energy: Are They Compatible? – Eileen Berenyi (Link to PDF)
White Book: Waste-to-Energy in Austria, Figures, Data and Facts – Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (Link to PDF)
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