More Energy in Scotland's Garbage Than Scotland's Fields

While biofuels based on purpose-grown crops food crops have fallen very much out of favor in the past year, the concept of using biomatter to create energy has only continued to evolve. Use of non-food materials in existing crops, or cellulosic waste from other industries such as construction and logging has opened new doors for the burgeoning technology.

But now, a recent report from Scotland suggests the developed world may be throwing away more energy than it can possibly grow.  Carried out by the Scottish version of the EPA, the report found that Scotland’s landfills could yield a staggering 692 megawatts of energy per year, or the energy of 106% of Scotland’s arable land converted to biofuel use.

I find this report as much wake-up call as inspiration.  While exact data are probably unobtainable, it’s a bit disturbing to consider the carbon emissions and energy that went into putting that potential fuel source into the landfill in the first place. While this could be an important energy source in the future, the laws of thermodynamics are unequivocal in showing it would be more efficient to make better use of these materials the first time around.