| A very important measure in the fight against global | | | | directly fight methane as a greenhouse gas. |
| warming that is often overlooked is organics | | | | Possibly more important is the fact that creation of |
| composting. Roughly a quarter of the U.S. waste | | | | quality compost for agricultural use can mean a |
| stream is made up of food waste and yard debris. | | | | significant reduction in the use of petrochemical |
| This material should all be composted and converted | | | | fertilizers for crops. The use of petrochemicals for |
| into soil (think of composting as soil manufacturing). | | | | fertilizer is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas |
| Unfortunately, throughout the country the | | | | production. The energy used to manufacture |
| composting infrastructure is not very well developed. | | | | synthetic fertilizer represents 28% of the total |
| In the fight against global warming this may be one | | | | energy used in U.S. agriculture. Replacing fertilizer with |
| of the most important investments local, state, and | | | | composted soil can increase crop yields by 10-20%, |
| federal authorities can make. | | | | reduce production costs by a similar amount, and |
| Landfills throughout North America emit 196 million | | | | increase carbon management properties significantly. |
| metric tons of methane gas annually - about 24% of | | | | Finally, on the economic development front, landfills |
| total man-made methane. Methane is a by-product of | | | | and incinerators create one job per 10,000 tons of |
| organic waste decomposition in a controlled, | | | | material managed. Composting creates 4 jobs for the |
| anaerobic environment and a major greenhouse gas. | | | | same amount of material. As a way to ameliorate |
| Methane is a greenhouse gas that is roughly 21 times | | | | greenhouse gas emissions, landfills cost $16,000 per |
| more potent than carbon dioxide. Proper composting | | | | fifty tons of methane managed, while composting |
| techniques can significantly reduce these emissions. | | | | systems manage the same amount of material for |
| Granted, landfills are now being retrofitted with | | | | about $3,000. |
| methane collection systems that use the collected | | | | As we move forward, then, with a new national |
| gas to create power, but these systems are usually | | | | agenda to become energy independent, solve the |
| only 15-20% efficient, meaning that 80% or more of | | | | global warming crisis and fix the world's economy, |
| landfill gases still escape into the atmosphere. | | | | composting will play a large part for everyone. As |
| Commercial composting systems used in Europe and | | | | they say, "Compost Happens! |
| Asia today are proven carbon storage systems that | | | | |