Garbage In – Power Out

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landfillHour 2

As people look for cleaner forms of energy, some are touting waste-to-energy plants, or incinerators, that turn garbage into electricity.  Waste-to-energy plants are popular in Europe but have never really taken off in the United States.  How green are today’s incinerators and how do the alternatives — landfills and recycling — compare?  Today, we’re talking trash with Widener University Civil Engineer, Ronald Mersky, including the pros and cons of burning, burying, or reusing our garbage.  Also, National Institutes of Health obesity researcher Kevin Hall talks about his surprising findings about household food waste – a lot of calories go to the dump or down the drain.

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[audio: 070610_110630.mp3]

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