New technologies are enabling cities to solve garbage problems while at the same time addressing energy scarcity. One innovation allows cities to burn residential, commercial, and institutional waste—called municipal solid waste, or MSW— in order to generate electricity. These waste-to-energy facilities use the heat from combustion to produce steam and generate electricity that can then be used to power homes and businesses. By burying the ash produced by incineration rather than the waste itself, cities can reduce the amount of garbage being disposed of in landfills. According to the Baseline Institute at Pace University in New York, these waste-to-energy facilities “can generate energy while reducing the volume of waste by up to 90 percent.” Fortunately, modern incinerators are equipped with better emission controls and can burn MSW without emitting as many harmful pollutants as older plants did...