It’s all oil

Another one from Darin. I had at times mentioned how at some point in
the future it is inevitable that we mine our garbage dumps for
resources. As we deplete other places, we concentrate resources in the
dumps. He pointed me to this article in Discover about a process to turn
any carbon-based material into oil. This could very well be a
world altering technology. This one invention could conceivably solve
the energy problem in a permanent and self-sustaining manner, solve
the garbage problem permanently and reclaim from our refuse potable
drinking water. That’s the trifecta, citizens! As I read the article,
my hands were shaking with optimism. I hope against hope that this
actually is all that it is cracked up to be, because the world in
which every dump and water-treatment facility has this stuff running
is a much better world than we live in today.