As long as we’re talking about Canada these days on the site here, I’ll go ahead and mention that Ottowa has approved construction of a facility that will turn 400 metric tons of garbage into 21 megawatts of electricity every day. I didn’t even know this technology even existed, but it seems like it’s the best idea ever.

Technology Review (published by those fancy-pants at MIT) reports today that this plant, to be constructed by the PlascoEnergy Group, would be the first large-scale gas-to-energy facility in North America. Technically, the process is called “gasification,” and

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The Brooklyn Flea is reviving an endangered species in New York City: the affordable flea market with worthwhile merchandise. In keeping with the regional residential real estate market, the decent, affordable flea market has been priced straight off the Isle of Manhattan and has found a new home in Brooklyn.

Organized by the good folks at the Brownstoner blog, the Brooklyn Flea turns the schoolyard of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn into an outdoor bazaar filled with both new and previously owned clothing, furniture, arts, crafts, knick-knacks, books and other media. Plus there’s plenty of food concessions for when your stomach starts growling after a morning filled with hardcore shopping.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Don’t miss some of our most popular articles of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Autism Awareness Day

Dolly Parton & American Idol: 9 to 5 and Women’s Rights

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Nicole:

Top 10 Garbloggers Talkin’ Trash

‘Garbage Warrior’ Turns Trash Into Green Homes

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Giulia:

Low US Grad Rates & ‘The First Year’

‘The Greatest Silence’ & More Ways to Take Action

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Gina:

Top 10 Dystopian Film Heros & Heroines

Empire Or Humanity? Howard Zinn & Viggo Mortensen Spread the Word On YouTube

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Kerry:

Eco-action blogger Kerry Trueman has moved onto greener pastures, but you can still find her at eatingliberally.com. Good luck, Kerry. We’ll miss you!

These Top 10 garbloggers are taking the world of trash to task by going to great lengths ““ and even extremes ““ to make sure their consumer waste stays out of the landfill. A garblogger, if you’re unfamiliar with the term, is a green lifestyle blogger who writes about one particular slovenly subject ““ garbage. Our consumption compulsions are trashing the planet, they say, and their aim is to get folks thinking about what it really means when we throw something “away.”

Get inspired by these incredible garbage gabbers below, and then at reduce.org to find out how you can cut back on your own consumer waste, and do your part to reduce environmental damage caused by overconsumption.

1) Everyday Trash - http://everydaytrash.wordpress.com

In the words of Brooklyn-based journalist Leila Darabi, her Everyday Trash blog is all about “the “˜out’ in toss out and the “˜rid’ in get rid of it.” Anything you could possibly want to know about the art, money, power, people, and the literature of garbage can probably be found here. It covers topics ranging from scholarly examinations of the language we use in our trash discourse to suggestions for eco-friendly erotica.

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BBC America’s running a four-part “eco-reality” series this month called Dumped, in which a bunch of would-be eco-adventurers get duped into a stinky three-week stint of dumpster diving. The idea, as Salon reports, is to simultaneously amuse and appall us, a kind of shock and ha! approach:

Our eco-lesson disguised as entertainment begins with 11 contestants, including an Iraq war vet and a platinum jewelry salesman, ensconced in a luxury hotel near London’s Gatwick airport, dining on fresh strawberries, melon and oranges at a linen-covered table, anticipating their upcoming three-week eco-adventure at an as yet unknown destination. On the environmental spectrum, the participants range from Selena, a personal trainer, who describes herself as an “eco-pain in the ass” to Darren, a woodworker, who owns four cars and wears his underwear only once before throwing it away because he “loves the crispness” of new tighty-whiteys. Then there’s Sasha, a streaky-blond part-time model, who says she knows all about global warming. “I’ve noticed it’s getting warmer, but I like that, because I like sun anyway,” she says, dissolving into giggles.     

Once the contestants discover their true destination””a dump in South London””anticipation turns to disgust as they realize that they’ve been drafted to star in a version of “Survivor” in which the island consists of a stinking, rotting mound of trash.

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We throw everything but the kitchen sink down the kitchen sink””at least, those of us with garbage disposal units in our drains do. But no matter how fine you grind it, all that artery-clogging grease that goes down the drain has a way of gumming up our waterways, so the city of Raleigh in North Carolina has declared a ban on garbage disposal systems, according to the Charlotte Observer:

Starting March 17, any new home or business tying into the Raleigh sewer system will be forbidden from installing the device, part of an effort to keep sewer pipes clear. Violators could be fined $25,000 a day and have the water turned off. The city is also taking aim at existing garbage disposals, advising residents to avoid the temptation to grind scraps and stray rinds — because they won’t be able to replace the gadgets when they stop working after their 10- to 12-year life span.

“They should place their garbage in the garbage can, not in the sanitary sewer system,” said Dale Crisp, the city’s public utilities director.

The ban has angered some Raleigh residents, who note that plenty of people pour fats and oils down their drains regardless of whether they’ve got a food disposal unit. One contractor who opposes the Raleigh ban told the Charlotte Observer that “high-end clients expect the luxury of in-sink vegetable waste destruction.”

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By Kerry Trueman

The leafy suburbs of New York’s Westchester County are not so green when it comes to recycling, apparently. Sanitation workers have been singling out homeowners who fail to sort out their milk jugs, tin cans and glass bottles from the rest of their garbage and slapping stickers that say “OOPS!” on the offending bags.

But more drastic measures are set to kick in next February 1, when homeowners will be required to use see-through plastic garbage bags to dispose of their household waste. Any residents who attempt to thwart this new level of transparency by ignoring the requirement will see their garbage become a waste management wallflower, destined to languish on the curb. Degrading? If only it could.