The rats are riding in on the light rail.

Meanwhile, the plasma arc incineration system, as described in the New York Times, is undergoing testing by the US military, and they seem to like it. Already in use in other countries, the system vaporizes trash while generating enough power to sustain itself - and with some tweaking, may even generate surplus energy. It's "green" and sustainable.

Naturally, Sierra Club, NRDC, and other "environmental" groups oppose it because - among other horrible effects - they say the ability to fully dispose of waste will discourage recycling and the development of renewable products.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/science/plasma-gasification-raises-hopes-of-clean-energy-from-garbage.html?_r=2&ref=science&pagewanted=all

Wind, solar, or nothing, baby.

"The rats are riding in on the light rail".

Rats are pretty smart. Not likely they would risk getting mugged or mingle with the diseased.

At some point, Portland will reach a point where they get so fed up, they decide to not take it any more. After that tipping point is reached, things can happen fairly quickly. Witness the Communist Block, starting with Thatcher/Reagan/Lech in Poland in the early 1980's, and ending in 11 days in November 1989 in Prague's Velvet Revolution.

Are we weeks/months away, or is it still years (decades?) before Portland really gets fed up?

So instead of putting food slop in a big green plastic roll cart that gets picked up every week, it's gonna go in a big blue plastic roll cart that is picked up every two weeks? That is exactly what the rats want you to do. Ain't no hefty bag gonna stop a rat. I've seen 'em chew through cinderblock...

I'm thinking residential incerator. Does maytag still make those?

All your problems can be solved in 1 horsepower. And for only $120, it'll pay for itself in a year or less.

Shally, I'm not a chemist nor physicist. Nor even a garbologist. But I am an engineer and I'm calling BS on some of the claims your NYT link story.
(And no, the writer's byline didn't spook me, although the piece reads like something Judith Miller would have written. Hmmm...no one has seen the two of them together...both useful idiots with limited shelf life for their handlers....)

You might help Sam’s rotting food problem by picking up a 40 lb. bag of Morton Pool Salt the next time at WalMart (for only $5.97) and toss a goodly slug of that in with your food waste collection. If enough neighbors pitch-in you might Cure the entire problem.

Who knows, some folks in North Plains might want to help with the purchases.

But I am an engineer and I'm calling BS on some of the claims your NYT link story.
JK: Remember most "science" articles are written by scientifically illiterate reporters that flunked logic 101. If they get even 50% right, be glad.

Let's also not overlook the role of the VA hospital in this individual's treatment.

He shows up at a VA hospital outpatient clinic, they treat him, and send him on his way back home. Five days later, he has full-blown symptoms of plague, which the ER physician in a civilian hospital spots immediatley and treats properly, saving his life.

It's not only a rat problem here. Portland is so hip we have our very own, city sponsored Mosquito breeding ponds called bioswales, and the West Nile Virus is on the rise. It might be a good idea if you happen to live near one of these health hazards just dump a a quart of motor oil in them when it there is standing water visable.

http://www.kgw.com/news/2-diagnosed-with-West-Nile-virus-in-Oregon-167761335.html

http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_or_mosquito.html

Oh not Portlandia mosquitos! They would never breed in the city sanctioned bioswales. Actually there are no Portlandia mosquitos; the mosquitos that used to live within the city limits all moved, in deference to Sam ad Randy, to the unincorporated parts of Multnomah county, where they breed only in water in abandoned tires.

PN I guess you're right out of sight out of mind, says Creepy. Tell that to the CDC and the states listed in this article.
I wonder if we can deduct the oil we need to poor into the hatching ponds on our taxes.
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2012/09/13/west-nile-virus-health-officials-are-convinced-this-will-be-worst-year/

Don't forget all the backyard chicken coops. Finally actually saw two rats feeding in the neighbors coop this morning while walking the dog. And, would the motor oil ignite? What a great idea for Halloween!

Don't underestimate the utility of heavy duty garbage disposals. I've had one that could grind up Shamu. There's no reason you must have one of those tiny quarter horsepower disposals that the builders install.

Throw the stuff in, turn it on, and problem solved.

Your disposal is probably getting old, anyway. Just upsize the replacement. You'll be happy.

Don't worry about the plague. Everyone will have health insurance soon, and medicaid enrolment will be expanded. So, if the plague is an unintended consequence of a government program, the cure is in the works via another program.

In the unlikely event of some unintended consequence of a government program, another program will fix it. Don't worry.

Worst case, a small (temporary, of course) tax increase might be imposed on Portlandia's billionaires, but you'll be fine.

Sarcasm mode on.

Heavy duty garbage disposal! But the water usage! The electricity usage! The actual sanitation! Sacrilege. Not sustainable! Not green! Not life as an early 19th century peasant! Oh, the horror! The Horror!

Sarcasm mode off.

Seriously, its one good soluition, There sometimes is one catch, according to a plumber friend of mine. Most houses built prior to 1990 have relatively narrow diameter waste pipes from the kitchen sink to the main in house sewer collector, usually 1 7/8 i.d. A heavy duty (3/4 horse or bigger) garbage disposer with the volume of water and waste stream it produces, is often a lot happier with a 2 1/4 or 2 1/2 inch waste pipe to the primary in house sewer pipe. Per this guy, who of course does have a financial dog in the fight, doing a waste pipe upgrade is a very good idea when installing a heavy duty garbage disposer, although it sometimes can get "complicated". I hate it when a plunmber says "complicated".....

I have brought this up before, people need to start complaining to our Multnomah County Health Officer/Department. It is insane to have these career politicians making decisions not based on science. Money is the trump here, over our public health.