It Might Be Crazy Enough to Work

I've had this idea in the inner recesses of my mind that I've always dismissed as unfeasible and, for lack of a better term, 'nutty'. But after reading an internet story predicting that human garbage output is expected to double by the year 2025, I thought it time to reexamine my idea: using the sun as a giant trash vaporizer.

Yes, I'm mostly putting this notion out there as a 'trial balloon' as they say in the political game. But, I think it, at least, merits some serious consideration.

According to research from Worldwatch.com, the amount of garbage produced by the world's cities will increase from 1.3 billion tons today to 2.6 billions tons in 2025. The U.S. leads the world in municipal solid waste or (MSW) output at about 621,000 tons a day, but China is quickly catching up at 521,000 tons a day.

Where are we going to put all this trash? Landfills, once thought to be the most practical solution, are using up increasingly scarce amounts of land. They're also becoming bigger health hazards. Moreover, landfills have become vast repositories for MSW consisting of plastics and Styrofoam products that takes years and even centuries to break down or become biodegradable.

Earthbound incineration doesn't appear to be the answer either. They can release large amounts of air pollution, and worse, become a source for carcinogenic and other toxic materials. Burning trash really doesn't get rid of the waste; it converts into another form.

However, solar vaporization will not pose any of the above risks to humans. All we need is the technology to simply sling the toxic refuse out of the Earth's gravitational field and aim it in the general direction of the Sun. We've had the rocket technology and knowledge of physical laws that would enable this action for decades.

Now, mind you, I'm not completely sold on this idea either. First, the costs of sending trash to the Sun would be enormous and probably prohibitive. But, I believe these kinds of problems can be ironed out with time. A second risk I foresee is the possibility of flung trash failing to make out of the Earth's orbit and blanketing the planet with toxic waste. The impact of such an error could be mitigated by regulating the amount and type of MSW that is sent in each solar delivery. Perhaps, there's small enough amount that our environment could safely withstand in such a mishap. Finally, solar vaporization turns waste into unrecoverable resources. Once the sun vaporizes it, the idea of recycling goes completely out the window.

Once again, I'm just throwing this out there. But, sometimes it pays to think outside the box.