by Arielle Young
What can be used for fuel in this day and age? Oil and coal, of course. Hydropower, wind energy, geothermal fuel, biomass (old meat.) Old meat? Yup. Tesco, a giant British retailer that owns the Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market chain of grocery shops in Southern California, is currently having their straw house blown down by an enraged VIVA (Vegetarians International Voice for Animals.) They are protesting Tesco's program to recycle meat past its sell-by date for fuel used by biomass-to-energy plants. The purpose of these plants is to turn waste food into biofuel, which is then transferred into electricity.
A report in Britain's Daily Mail states that Tesco transports about 5,000 tons of old meat per year to biomass plants, and that this amount is enough to produce electricity for 600 homes. This program contributes to Britain's effort to reduce the amount of waste food ending up in landfills and the need to explore alternate energy sources. However, what some may seem to be a weather-cycle of green global progress, others chalk this program up to be a huge, environmental failure.
- "It's a sad indictment of modern life that not only hundreds of millions of animals are killed each year in the UK, but so much meat is left over from greed and indifference. To turn this wasted meat into power might seem like a good idea at first, but you have to ask yourself, why is so much left over and why are so many animals dying to provide this excess?" Justin Kerswell, a VIVA spokesman, told the Mail. What do you have to say for yourself, Britain?
In my opinion, this is all a bit ironic, seeing that the amount of surplus of meat that isn't consumed is so great. The obvious answer (not for meat production franchises, that is) would be to hinder the farming of animals to shrink the surplus of unsold meat. VIVA might argue that point on a far stricter scale. However, I can see why the program is enacted in the first place, but this whole issue would not be an issue if humankind was not rapidly depleting the world's natural resources.
I wonder who will get their way, Tesco or VIVA? Will one stomp their feet harder than the other in the temper tantrum of truth? Tune in next week for the meaty conclusion of biomass energy resources and the slow decay of smelly, rotting controversy. Not really.
via LA Times
![Tori ;]](http://media.socialvibe.com/user_photos/2681388/342_thumb.JPG)
