Waste Not Want
Not
(Harrowsmith (105), Oct., 1992 )
Alchemists would have admired the Goldfire, which turns waste oil into electricity.
Waste Energy Inc., a Florida-based firm, has essentially married a small refinery and an electric generator. The new technology will allow garage owners and car dealerships to convert large volumes of used automobile motor oil into #2 diesel oil and then into electricity. Goldfire users could thus avoid the expense and liability of waste-oil disposal, create their own electricity and sell any surplus to utility companies.
“In this world,” says Keith G. Burnett, the company’s president and inventor of the technology, “everyone wants to be an environmentalist. And that’s part of our pitch. But emotional appeal doesn’t build a business. profit does.” He argues that converting waste oil into useful products makes both ecological and economic sense.
The various Goldfire models, which range in price from $12,000 to $108,000 (U.S.), meet or exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. Burnett claims that strong interest in the Goldfire has translated into $4 million in orders.
Going green, it seems, can mean turning black into gold.
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© James O'Regan, 1992