19. Rough recycling conditions in the U. K. village of Wye

WyeCycle Documentary from James Dolan on Vimeo.


This 5-minute documentary is about a community recycling company, WyeCycle, in England.  The staff is dedicated, motivated, positive and inventive.  For example, they turned old mini-vans into recycling trucks that run on bio-diesel that they make themselves. But they work under difficult circumstances and their future is uncertain.  
I feel bad for these inspiring recyclers because they don't appear to have the financial support they need to do their work without struggle.

18. Waste-to-Energy in 1919 Austin

A Popular Science article entitled "Out of the Garbage Pail and into the Fire" (February 1919) by Joseph Brinker exploded any idea I had that waste-to-energy plants are a fairly new concept.  It's about an experimental plant designed by E. L. Culver of Chicago.  He used a mixture of garbage, coal dust and tar to produce 2 lb. bricks which, when burned, gave the same, or better, heat as lignite coal.   This method also did not produce the gasses that coal-fired electrical generation plants did.  Culver's plant was successful and produced all of the heating units needed by Austin, Texas to power the city.  

17. Army Earth Day Posters

The U. S. Army Environmental Command has published Earth Day posters yearly since 1997.  Check them out on the video we posted on our new You Tube channel.   The recurring symbols on the posters link environmental protection with patriotism and national security.