They say necessity is the mother of invention, and in a war, there’s no shortage of either. No coincidence, then that military conflicts have birthed the jeep, radar, atomic energy, and, in its earliest, room-sized incarnations, the computer. 

Now the modern battlefields in Iraq have lead to a modern invention that may have applicable functions well outside of combat zones. The Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery (or “Tiger” since military acronyms always have to spell something) combines a shredder, an ethanol generator, a gasifier, and some diesel fuel to run an electric generator on a crude form of biodiesel. 

Two Tiger prototypes, with a combined price tag of $3 million, are currently undergoing field testing in Baghdad, but are reported to have performed well thus far, save some problems from the extreme heat.  

While the high cost makes the Tiger too expensive for most municipalities, its mobility (it’s wheeled and fits in a 20-to-40 foot container) could be useful for large events, such as concerts or New York City’s New Year’s Eve festivities, which require power for lighting, and have an excess of trash that needs to be dealt with.