Waste_Inbox

There probably isn't a more polarizing voice regarding the environment than Al Gore. He's seen either as the relentless voice of salvation or an obsessed, self-promoting alarmist.

Gore helped create those images with his polemical book, lecture and film, "An Inconvenient Truth." With it, Gore became the embodiment of concern about global warming and the drive to change.

Now he's out with a sequel titled "Our Choice." While that may prompt a moan from his critics, there's reason to think that environmentalism's poster child is acknowledging the need for a more pragmatic approach. His latest views, examined in a recent Newsweek issue, sound like he realizes that any real change on this issue will have to come through business and political effort. What we can all do as individuals is important, feels good and does contribute, but individuals can't impact environmental management on the speed and scale that business and politicians can. And particularly, business can make it happen the more they see a financial benefit.

While energy is front and center in the greenhouse gas discussion, waste and recycling can be a big part of the equation to address global warming. Landfill gas is a key clean energy source. Waste and biosolids are another. One of the potential solutions Gore explores is using agricultural waste for carbon dioxide sequestration. Deforestation generates 20% of the existing carbon dioxide, and that's waste generated by cutting down trees.

A pragmatic approach to the issue is essential also because people are becoming more skeptical or starting to lose interest. The Newsweek article said the percentage of Americans who believe there is solid evidence of global warming has fallen to 57%, down from 71% just last year. Americans who believe global warming is caused by human activity is down to 36% from 47% just last year.

Business investing in green energy and other technologies because they see a financial opportunity is the best way of all to reduce greenhouse gases. And waste and recycling certainly can play a key part.

Allan Gerlat is editor of Waste & Recycling News. Past installments of this column are collected in the Inbox archive.

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