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February 17, 2010 By Russell Nichols
Brigitte Kantor's computer runs on garbage.
That doesn't mean her operating system stinks, but that she works at the Waste to Energy Facility in Lee County, Fla., which burns about 1,830 tons of municipal solid waste every day. At the plant, combustion units turn trash to ash, preserving landfills and producing electricity that powers everything from the cranes that load refuse into the boilers to the fans, lights and computers.
Now the coastal county hopes to cash in on the wealth of carbon credits it has accumulated through this waste management system that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air. In mathematical terms, one carbon credit equals one ton of carbon dioxide saved; Lee County has 83,732 carbon credits.
Across the country, governments have taken steps to reduce carbon footprints. Selling carbon credits puts Lee County at the forefront of a movement that includes a potential federal cap on greenhouse emissions, and represents the growing trend of going green and seeking gold.
In the U.S., carbon credits can be bought and sold voluntarily at prices determined by the market. These credits may not be tangible, said Kantor, solid waste coordinator for the Lee County Solid Waste Division. But their value, she said, comes from the idea that when a company buys carbon credits, "they're buying into a way of doing business that takes the environment into consideration."
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