[GreenYes] the ZW vision and bioreactors... Is it time we spoke up?

[Gary Liss <gary@no.address>]

Eric,

I agree!  In California, we just held a major 
workshop on 3/19/07 regarding "Reducing 
Greenhouse Gases through Expanded Composting" 
(see 
http://www.crra.com/crranews/articles/organic_workshop.html 
for Powerpoints that are now on line). About 100 
of the state's top composting and recycling 
experts joined together to generate the data 
needed for the report you say needs to be 
produced.  Next step is to summarize that data 
into a summary report, and easier to understand and use fact sheets.

On Tuesday, 4/17/07, the CRRA Board just approved 
the formation of a Recyclers Global Warming 
Council to bring special attention to this 
pressing issue.  That Council is asked by the 
CRRA Board to work to form a coalition of other 
organizations to work on these issues ASAP.  If 
any groups are interested in pooling our 
resources to draft these needed documents and 
advocate for them, please contact me ASAP.

Thanks for highlighting the urgency of this!

Gary

At 01:56 PM 4/18/2007, Eric Lombardi wrote:
>Greetings GreenYessers,
>
>In the search for new energy sources, it is 
>starting to look like ?waste based energy 
>systems? is arising as a major barrier to 
>fulfilling our vision of Zero Waste 
>Communities.    In my view of the 
>world,  ?source-separated organics? collected 
>and delivered as a clean stream to a compost 
>facility to make high-quality compost is the 
>correct and sustainable public policy 
>path.   Somewhere in that system lies the 
>potential to process the material in an 
>anaerobic digester to capture the gas before the compost process.
>
>However, the energy production from a 
>?bioreactor? landfill is being sold as a major 
>benefit.  Is this true?  I think not, but 
>unfortunately I can?t attach a nice short PDF 
>report to prove that because our side of the 
>debate hasn?t produced it yet.   It is time that 
>we, the Zero Waste advocates of the world, get 
>our act together and start publishing the data 
>and arguments to support our vision and counter our opposition.
>
>Eric Lombardi
>Eco-Cycle
>GRRN Board
>
>
>The Missourian
>
>
>
>A proposed bill would bring a bioreactor landfill to the city.
>
>
>
>
>
>By GAVIN OFF
>
>April 18, 2007
>
>
>JEFFERSON CITY ­ A ?fairly giant research 
>project? could turn Columbia?s trash into enough 
>electricity to generate up to 5 percent of the 
>city?s power needs, state officials said Tuesday.
>
>The project, aided by a bill proposed by Sen. 
>Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, would allow city 
>residents to dump their yard waste into a 
>bioreactor landfill. The yard waste, including 
>grass clippings, tree limbs, and leaves, would 
>mix with the landfill?s household trash, thus 
>decomposing faster and speeding up the 
>production of methane gas, said Jim Hull, 
>director of the solid waste management program 
>for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
>
>Although bioreactor landfills act much like 
>common landfills, the city would increase 
>decomposition through circulating leachate ­ the 
>liquid found in trash ­ and adding oxygen or water.
>
>The city would then capture the gas and turn it into electricity.
>
>?Will it be enough to fuel the whole city? No,? 
>Engler said. ?Will it take some of the load off? Yes.?
>
>Engler presented his bill to the House Energy 
>and Environment Committee on Tuesday. Under the 
>bill, residents in areas that house bioreactor 
>landfills would be allowed to combine their yard 
>waste with their everyday trash. Currently, 
>Columbia residents must separate yard waste from ordinary waste.
>
>Engler praised the potential bioreactor landfill 
>project for disposing of yard waste, producing 
>energy, and, since the waste decomposes faster, 
>creating additional space in landfills.
>
>He said it could also save money for about 300 
>Missouri communities that have separate yard 
>waste management services. ?And that?s why it?s a win-win,? Engler said.
>
>Eric Lombardi, executive director of Eco-Cycle, 
>a nonprofit zero-waste company based in Boulder, 
>Colo., said the process is more complicated and hardly beneficial.
>
>?The problem is that, according to a couple 
>sources, including the IPCC (Intergovernmental 
>Panel on Climate Change), the lifetime capture 
>rate when you bury biodegradable material is 
>only 20 percent,? Lombardi said, ?which means 80 
>percent is released into the environment.?
>
>Lombardi said releasing 80 percent of the 
>landfill?s methane gas, which is among the top 
>10 greenhouse gases, could increase global 
>warming. According to the Environmental 
>Protection Agency, such landfills could also release more odor.
>
>Despite such concerns, House committee members 
>raised few doubts about the project.
>
>Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, who is sponsoring a 
>similar vision of the bill in the House, said 
>the project would help the city reach its 
>renewable energy goals. A Columbia ordinance 
>states that by the end of the year, 2 percent of 
>its power must come from renewable energy sources.
>
>He said Columbia is willing to pay $3.5 million 
>for the state?s first bioreactor landfill, which 
>would save the city some $800,000 a year, since 
>it could consolidate its trash pick-up routes.
>
>
>.
>Copyright © 2007 Columbia Missourian
>
>
>
>
Gary Liss
916-652-7850
Fax: 916-652-0485
www.garyliss.com  
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