The Effectiveness of Composting in Protecting the Environment Essay

As of recently, there has been an ever-growing buzz regarding the environment and being sustainable, and we need to embrace this movement. As the population grows, our demands on Earth’s resources grow, and this current rate is not sustainable. Barring any change, we will not have enough freshwater and natural resources to support our society in the near future. Each day, we incur more and more damage through the demands of consumerism, and this must come to an end. We must, as a society, take it upon ourselves to make individual changes which will potentially be the start of a global shift to a sustainable lifestyle. Our conscious decisions and actions will determine the future health of our planet. Right now is the time we can make a difference for the future. One conscious decision that we can make to save the environment for future generations is to compost. Composting is a process that converts organic waste into a useful product that can be used as a soil fertilizer. Compost is actually one of nature’s best mulches and soil amendments, and it can be used as a substitute for artificial fertilizers (â€Å"Evanston†¦Ã¢â‚¬  2). Compost is created by first collecting organic scraps that would normally be thrown away, such as yard trimmings and food scraps. These materials are then left in a controlled environment that is ideal for natural decomposition. This environment can be created in a special composting bin or even in a pile in your backyard. After allowing your pile to decompose for a few months, your compost is ready to be used as a fertilizer in your garden. Figure 1: Man holding a pile of compost Figure 2: Inputs and outputs of the composting process Source: â€Å"Composting† Source: Starbuck – â€Å"Making and ... ...Are Plastic Grocery Bags Sacking the Environment?." . National Geographic, 02 Sep 2003. Web. 25 Jan 2012. . Starbuck, Christopher, ed. "Making and Using Compost." . University of Missouri, Apr 2010. Web. 26 Jan 2012. . Stewart, Kate. "Re: Composting Questions." Message to Edward Pang. 23 Jan 2012. E-mail. United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Analysis of Composting As an Environmental Remediation Technology. 1998. Web. . United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2010. 2011. Web. . The Effectiveness of Composting in Protecting the Environment Essay As of recently, there has been an ever-growing buzz regarding the environment and being sustainable, and we need to embrace this movement. As the population grows, our demands on Earth’s resources grow, and this current rate is not sustainable. Barring any change, we will not have enough freshwater and natural resources to support our society in the near future. Each day, we incur more and more damage through the demands of consumerism, and this must come to an end. We must, as a society, take it upon ourselves to make individual changes which will potentially be the start of a global shift to a sustainable lifestyle. Our conscious decisions and actions will determine the future health of our planet. Right now is the time we can make a difference for the future. One conscious decision that we can make to save the environment for future generations is to compost. Composting is a process that converts organic waste into a useful product that can be used as a soil fertilizer. Compost is actually one of nature’s best mulches and soil amendments, and it can be used as a substitute for artificial fertilizers (â€Å"Evanston†¦Ã¢â‚¬  2). Compost is created by first collecting organic scraps that would normally be thrown away, such as yard trimmings and food scraps. These materials are then left in a controlled environment that is ideal for natural decomposition. This environment can be created in a special composting bin or even in a pile in your backyard. After allowing your pile to decompose for a few months, your compost is ready to be used as a fertilizer in your garden. Figure 1: Man holding a pile of compost Figure 2: Inputs and outputs of the composting process Source: â€Å"Composting† Source: Starbuck – â€Å"Making and ... ...Are Plastic Grocery Bags Sacking the Environment?." . National Geographic, 02 Sep 2003. Web. 25 Jan 2012. . Starbuck, Christopher, ed. "Making and Using Compost." . University of Missouri, Apr 2010. Web. 26 Jan 2012. . Stewart, Kate. "Re: Composting Questions." Message to Edward Pang. 23 Jan 2012. E-mail. United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Analysis of Composting As an Environmental Remediation Technology. 1998. Web. . United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2010. 2011. Web. .