First of all, what is biomass -- besides a buzzword? Biomass is, most simply, waste that's burned to generate electricity.

That waste can come from farms, an example would be corn husks. (Sometimes certain crops are grown specifically for biomass incinerators.) It can also come from places like Compost Central in the form of woody mulch, some of which is already being trucked to South Carolina for their incinerators. It can be the non-liquid stuff left over after sewage is treated. It can be medical waste, like the stuff in the red haz-mat canister at your doctor's office. And it can be regular 'ol trash, like the the stuff you roll out to the curb every week — minus the recycleables, we hope.

Creating energy with biomass technology is nothing new, in fact it's old technology. Though, there are "new" twists, like gasification, that have been in use in other "green" countries like Austria, Germany and Japan for decades.

Using biomass solves one problem (what to do with our waste) and helps with another (energy creation); however, detractors say, in return, it creates other problems, like air pollution and ash that has to be used or stored in some sort of landfill.

Mecklenburg County has one incinerator right now. It burns medical waste but isn't currently generating electricity ... which is a waste in itself. It's also not up to code, so to speak, and contributes to the area's air pollution woes. In a phone conversation yesterday, County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts assured me the county is looking at both of these issues -- emissions and electricity production -- with that particular incinerator.

But, the biomass facility on everyone's mind right now hasn't even been built yet. (It will eventually be at the proposed eco-industrial park ReVenture, which sits on top of a Superfund site on the edge of the Catawba River between the U.S. National Whitewater Center and the City of Mount Holly.) In fact, not only has it not been built, Forsite Development, the company behind the project, hasn't announced whether they're going to use older incinerator technology or newer gasification technology.

Still, even without knowing what technology will be used, several governmental bodies have given the project their approval. This bothers a few environmental groups, like the Catawba Riverkeeper, the Sierra Club and Sustain Charlotte.

While they like the ReVenture project in general, they take issue with the fact that a couple of the eco-industrial park's components -- one of which is the biomass facility and the other is a wastewater treatment plant -- will be polluters. Exactly what kind of pollution, and how much pollution, will depend on which technology the company decides to go with.

Shannon Binns, of Sustain Charlotte, told me last week, "There is no good incineration technology."

Commissioner Roberts, who along with other area leaders and educators has toured biomass facilities in Europe, takes issue with claims that the County Commission gave the project their approval without sufficient knowledge about the technology.

Meanwhile, Tom McKittrick, Forsite Development's CEO, is in a big rush to get ReVenture shovel-ready by the end of the year in an effort to qualify for $40-60 million in stimulus funds. Even with that ambitious goal, he says he and his partners decided to stop the air quality permitting process for the biomass plant because they wanted to look at newer, cleaner technologies that won't generate as much air pollution. He says he's mindful of Charlotte's air quality issues and is committed to building a plant that's a minor polluter.

However, until the company announces what type of plant they're building, it's difficult for anyone — including environmental groups and the government — to estimate what its impact will be on our air and water quality.

That's why we're tagging this issue as news to watch. So stay tuned.

Here's more about gasification from SilvaGas:

Now the oil titan is promising their next effort to stop the leak in the Gulf of Mexico is permanent, pinkie swear. Which is, of course, utter bullshit. If they had the permanent solution all along, they would have implemented it months ago.

Speaking of the many-month long oil spill, if you'd like to keep up with exactly how long this disaster has been going on, or how much oil's been leaked, check out the BP Oil Spill Clock, courtesy of PBS. Today is day 85, in case you're wondering.

If you'd like to read more about BP's latest promises, read today's article in The New York Times. I'm not going to waste my time repeating them here, since there will likely be a new round of promises next week.

If you'd like to read about how this nightmare is affecting our relationship with Great Britain, read today's Reuter's article. Interesting, I think, since we all know if an American company created the same type of disaster on that island nation we'd be expected to comply with our mother nation's every request.

And, how about this chummy news? The Daily Beast is reporting Hooters is happy about the business boom from oil spill workers. Woo hoo! Way to go BP public relations people. You managed to work boobs into the conversation. #FTW!

While Hooters might be doing well, this report, from May 6, offers a different story:

The first time I heard about "small wind" power was on some random television show, I can't remember which one, that featured a behind-the-scenes look at Jay Leno's massive auto garage in California. On the roof of it, and you know it's huge — the man owns a kazillion cars, he has small wind turbines that generate power for the garage.

"Brilliant!" I thought.

The reason I'm bringing it up now is because Yale University's Environment 360 project is reporting small wind power will soon be able to power our homes. The article claims one turbine can create enough electricity to fulfill -30 percent of the average-size home's power needs.

I don't know about you, but I think this is pretty cool ... and way overdue.

And, heeeeere's Jay, on Green Garage:

What comforts you? No, really. Think about it for a minute. At the end of a tough day, what comforts you most?

There's something to be said for a warm shower, a shave and freshly brushed teeth. Maybe you're like me: I can't get to my other creature comforts without comforting myself with those things first, though they're all daily rituals I take for granted.

Not so for people on the street. When you're struggling to make it through the week, on the hunt for enough food in your belly to keep it from talking back to you and a warm, safe place to sleep, things like toothpaste and shampoo fall down on the priority list.

That's why the United Way is asking for your help. They would like to create comfort kits for the homeless, a population that's booming in the Q.C.

Here's what they need you to do:

Get to your area Harris Teeter this week — and by this week I mean by Friday. There you'll find collection bins.

Whether you buy them at the Teeter or bring them in from elsewhere, the United Way is asking you to pack Ziploc-style bags with toiletries and place them into the collection bins.

What kind of toiletries? Well, what do you use? Pack soap, toothpaste, shampoo, dental floss, a toothbrush, deodorant, lotion, tissues and whatever else you feel would be appropriate. Also, don't forget to include small stuffed toys for the kids.

The kits will then be distributed to several area non-profits that serve the homeless in Charlotte, such as A Child's Place, Charlotte Emergency Housing, Salvation Army Center of Hope, United Family Services' Battered Women's Shelter and more.

For $10, you can bring a whole lotta comfort to one of your fellow citizens. So, get your ass on down to Harris Teeter by Friday, fill up a bag and comfort yourself with the knowledge that you've made a positive impact on someone's life.

"There are a lot of homeless families, with children, in Charlotte," Noah Manyiko, Sr. Pastor Nexus Church. Watch: