A New Source of Green Energy: Burning Tires?

Reuse and recycle. It’s a message that’s been hammered home; unfortunately, it isn’t always feasible. The automobile tire is the perfect example. Even hybrid cars need four of them apiece, and the global love affair with the automobile isn’t ending anytime soon. Worldwide, about a billion tires are sold annually, and eventually all get tossed. In the United States alone, we throw away 300 million tires a year—one for every man, woman, and child. These castoffs are a huge source of automotive-related pollution—the average used tire weighs 22.5 pounds and contains about two gallons of fuel, as well as other combustible carbon compounds. Dumped into huge stockpiles, tires harbor vermin, contribute to the spread of disease by creating mosquito breeding grounds, and feed huge fires: In August 1998, a grass fire ignited 7 million tires near the town of Tracy in California’s San Joaquin Valley, sending a plume of soot ...