In Defense of Trash
This week, in a rare show of bipartisanship, the U.S. Senate voted 62-37 to back military aviation biofuels. This means the "Green Hornet" will continue to fly despite objections from fossil fuel supporters. The Department of Defense consumes 4.6 billion gallons of fuel per year making it the largest single consumer of energy in America. With operations stretched all over the globe, the Air Force and Navy consume about 85% of that total combined. Therefore the DoD has a strategic interest in fuel diversity and security, especially in times of crisis. The United States generates about 250 million tons of Municipal Solid Waste each year of which about a third is recovered through recycling programs, etc. Another 13% is combusted for energy recovery, leaving about 135 million tons going to landfills each year. There is sufficient organic material in that MSW to generate well over 5 billion gallons of biobutanol (jet fuel) - more than required to meet the military&#