By Greg Lawson -
[email protected]
I recently read an article in the May issue of the
science magazine Discover that really gave me mixed emotions. The
article was entitled "Anything into Oil," and described an incredible
scientific breakthrough. A company named Changing World Technologies has
perfected a process called thermal depolymerization that breaks down
anything from municipal garbage to sewer sludge into gas, oil,
sterilized water and minerals.
Other companies have tried to develop this process in
the past, but the amount of energy needed to run the machinery was as
much as or more than the fuel recovered. The CWT pilot plant began
operation in 1998 in Philadelphia and was able to convert 7 tons of
garbage a day into oil, gas, water and minerals. The process is 85%
efficient, there are no secondary pollutants produced and everything
distilled is of value. A portion of the gas produced is used to run the
machinery.
It sounds too good to be true. This technology could
indeed change the world, solving several of our biggest problems at
once. It would mean a future with no more landfills, no garbage, no
sewage problems, no wastes at all...the ultimate dream of recycling. If
only the United States' agricultural wastes were subjected to this
process, it would result in 12 billion barrels of oil a year according
to CWT estimates.
Free of our dependence on foreign oil supplies, there
would be no need for us to make up excuses to conduct wars in the
Mideast, no need for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
or at South Padre Island National Seashore, no need for transporting oil
in sinkable boats across the seas.
CWT's patented thermal depolymerization process (TDP)
breaks down the long chain molecular bonds into the shorter chains of
petroleum hydrocarbons in the same way the earth changes organic
material into oil over millions of years of tectonic plate shifting,
heat and pressure. The difference is that TDP does it in the amount of
time it takes to cook brown rice.
Anything can be turned into oil. Plastic wastes, medical
waste and municipal waste and tires result in the highest yields.
Organic wastes such as sewer sludge and agricultural byproducts yield a
little less oil, but more sterilized water. Even metallic wastes such as
computers and appliances can be reduced to oil and minerals.
Okay, so why do I have mixed emotions about this new
technology that could solve so many of our problems? Construction has
just been completed on the first commercial thermal depolymerization
plant in Carthage, Missouri, right next door to a ConAgra Butterball
turkey slaughterhouse. Shortly, the TDP plant will begin turning 200
tons of turkey guts a day into oil. Feathers, bones, guts, and turkey
excrement will produce a gas to fuel not only the TDP plant and the
slaughterhouse, but also yield oil for commercial sales.
Unfortunately, this endeavor will increase the monetary
value of turkey and greatly increase profits for ConAgra, the
second-largest food company. ConAgra kills approximately 30,000 birds
per day at it's Carthage Butterball plant, and spends a lot of money to
dispose of the wastes. Converting the wastes into oil will allow the
plant to be seen as more "environmentally friendly" to everyone but the
turkeys.
Currently, the plant discharges over a million gallons
of slaughterhouse wastes per day to the City of Carthage wastewater
treatment system. One of the company's waste lagoons was leaking a
million gallons of wastes per month, but ConAgra did not close the
lagoon until over four years had passed, and after six written requests
by Missouri officials. The facility has been cited numerous times by
state and federal officials for pollution violations of it's operating
permit and has paid approximately $42,000 in fines (a drop in the bucket
when you consider ConAgra has received 100 million dollars over the last
decade just from the national school lunch program). Now ConAgra will
have the motivation to recycle (higher profits) thanks to thermal
depolymerization technology.
Changing World Technologies is working with major hog
companies to build plants that run on the millions of gallons of hog
waste that sits in lagoons across the Midwest. While this development is
certainly good for the environment, it won't be good for the animals,
and one of our big arguments for vegetarianism, pollution, is being
eroded.
It's a mixed blessing. I would rather see this
technology applied to plastic wastes, sewer sludge and municipal
garbage. Being a vegan, I want to have a choice at the gas pump. I would
always select the hi test sewer sludge over the unleaded turkey guts
every time.
Go on to
Environmentalists = Terrorists: The New Math by Karen Charman
Return to 11 May 2003 Issue
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