State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

waste-to-energy

  • We Need to Advance Solid Waste Technology

    We Need to Advance Solid Waste Technology

    To implement a true circular economy, we need to systematically and automatically reuse most of the material placed in our trash bags.

  • The Necessity of Recycling

    The Necessity of Recycling

    Without recycling, there can be no circular economy. Without a circular economy, we cannot build environmentally sustainable cities. Without sustainable cities, we’d better start looking for another planet.

  • The U.S. Should Phase Out Landfilling, as China and the E.U. Are Doing

    The U.S. Should Phase Out Landfilling, as China and the E.U. Are Doing

    Compared to landfilling, waste-to-energy plants reduce carbon emissions and conserve land. China provides a good example of how waste-to-energy can be expanded.

  • Putting Garbage to Good Use with Waste-to-Energy

    Putting Garbage to Good Use with Waste-to-Energy

    Burning garbage to produce electricity is a strategy for sustainable waste management that is finding favor in Europe and China. Why isn’t it practiced more in the U.S.?

  • Landfill Disposal May Pose Greater Health Risks Than WTE Treatment, Student Research Shows

    Disposing of waste via landfills increases health risks 30-fold, compared with using waste-to-energy treatment — which generates electricity by burning waste — for disposal. This is according to a study conducted by a student in the Masters in Public Health (MPH) program at the Mailman School at Columbia University. The study, carried out by Pearl…

  • We Need to Advance Solid Waste Technology

    We Need to Advance Solid Waste Technology

    To implement a true circular economy, we need to systematically and automatically reuse most of the material placed in our trash bags.

  • The Necessity of Recycling

    The Necessity of Recycling

    Without recycling, there can be no circular economy. Without a circular economy, we cannot build environmentally sustainable cities. Without sustainable cities, we’d better start looking for another planet.

  • The U.S. Should Phase Out Landfilling, as China and the E.U. Are Doing

    The U.S. Should Phase Out Landfilling, as China and the E.U. Are Doing

    Compared to landfilling, waste-to-energy plants reduce carbon emissions and conserve land. China provides a good example of how waste-to-energy can be expanded.

  • Putting Garbage to Good Use with Waste-to-Energy

    Putting Garbage to Good Use with Waste-to-Energy

    Burning garbage to produce electricity is a strategy for sustainable waste management that is finding favor in Europe and China. Why isn’t it practiced more in the U.S.?

  • Landfill Disposal May Pose Greater Health Risks Than WTE Treatment, Student Research Shows

    Disposing of waste via landfills increases health risks 30-fold, compared with using waste-to-energy treatment — which generates electricity by burning waste — for disposal. This is according to a study conducted by a student in the Masters in Public Health (MPH) program at the Mailman School at Columbia University. The study, carried out by Pearl…