(Reprint of a GNN story from 2003; in preparation for a followup article soon)
IMAGINE. . .
Imagine a machine that can turn almost anything into oil. Imagine that
it uses natural processes like heat and pressure, and produces no
pollution. Imagine that waste from landfills, refuse from poultry
factories, sludge from city sewage, or even infectious medical
waste, are used to make the oil. Everybody says it sounds too good to
be true. But now we have the science -- and two factories -- to prove
it.
"This is a solution to three of the biggest problems facing mankind,"
Brian Appel, CEO of Changing World Technologies, Inc., told Discover
magazine in a May 2003 feature article. "This process can deal with the
world's waste. It can supplement our dwindling supplies of oil. And it
can slow down global warming."
The process is called thermal depolymerization. Waste goes in one end
and comes out the other as three products, all valuable and
environmentally benign: High-quality oil, clean-burning gas, and
purified minerals that can be used as fuels, fertilizers, or specialty
chemicals for manufacturing. . .
As a parent, small business owner, and citizen I congratulate you on having such a wonderful website. It lifts my heart, gives me courage, and renews my belief in ALL humankind when I read the stories you highlight. I tell everyone I meet about your wonderful and noble quest.
A three-part series ends tonight on PBS that explores improving social relationships, learning to cope with depression and anxiety, and becoming more positive, resilient individuals.
Harvard psychologist and best-selling author of Stumbling on Happiness, Professor Daniel Gilbert hosts 'This Emotional Life' and talks with experts about the latest science on what makes us “tick” and how to find emotional support for the issues we face.
The Church of Scientology has sent more than one hundred and fifty of its members to assist in relief efforts in Haiti. NBC went to a hospital site where several of the volunteers were helping doctors, to see what they were doing and what they were saying about their religion.
"As well as providing medical assistance, the volunteers – wearing yellow
T-shirts that read: 'Something CAN be done about it' – have also
helped distribute food and water and remove medical supplies from damaged
buildings," reported the Daily Telegraph.
Treo, a black lab trained by the British Army has earned top military honors for his bomb-sniffing duty in Afghanistan. For 8 years, the dog located scores of bombs concealed by the Taliban, saving countless lives. Treo now gets to retire and live a comfortable life.