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Composting Combats Climate Change
Did you know that a significant contributor to climate change is coming from our landfills? The millions of tons of food and organic waste we send there every year belch huge amounts of methane into the atmosphere. We also spend $5 billion a year on fossil-fuel-derived fertilizers that leak chemicals into the soil and accelerate the release of nitrous oxide -- another greenhouse gas.
Composting is nature's way of waste disposal and soil fertilization. Nature has reminded me of this with a grand flourish. A squash plant that started growing out of one of our community composte bins this Spring has taken on gargantuan proportions (see photo).
My brother set up composte bins fashioned from old wooden pallets at various places around the property of Hampton Lofts, our 20 home complex. Several of us make daily contributions to these composte heaps. The juicers among us are constantly throwing assorted fruit and vegetable pulp on the pile. To this we add lots of egg shells, coffee grounds, tea leaves, wheatgrass pulp, and anything else we're throwing out that's non-dairy, non-meat food or organic waste. My brother also throws in all the grass clippings, leaves, and other organic material from the property.
The most exotic (or icky, depending on your perspective) contribution we make is urine. I know, that's probably too much information for some, but human urine makes an excellent high nitrogen liquid fertilizer for most plants. Studies indicate that each person’s waste fluids can provide enough nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to grow a year’s supply of wheat and corn for that person. According to some studies, human waste can be an even more effective fertilizer than animal manure. And many a 5 gallon flush of clean water isn't being wasted on purging sterile pee from our households.
The squash plant confirms how fertile these piles of decomposing stuff are. This plant has spread out literally yards in all directions, with enormous vegetables. I measured one squash at 10" diameter this morning. I watched it grow practically overnight. I'm no farmer, but I have had a few vegetable gardens in my day, and I can tell you I've never seen a vegetable plant grow like this using synthetic fertilizers.
We're using the resulting super soil for growing wheatgrass, tomatoes, herbs and other vegetables around the property. Given the fact that buying and growing more food locally is another logical step in our ecological journey makes composting an ancient practice I hope many more will revive.
And we can combat climate change in the process.
Burke Sisco
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