Turning garbage into energi

A great article from NewScientist about plasma gasification. Simply put: zap your garbage at 10,000 degrees celcius and you get a gas that when scrubbed can be turned into methane, ethonol or a diesel-like fuel. The waste product is an inert glass-like substance that can be used in the building industry.
Gasification can also be achieved without the plasma arc. Running at 1,600 degrees in a machine the size of a shipping container, it can gasifiy 3 tons of garbage and create energy enough to heat and power an office building for 500 people.
Maybe we aren't so far from "Back to the Future" than we thought?