Stephanie Baker

Professor Eye

ENG 452

Book Project

Front Cover Image

“Hands with Seedling." Online Image. n.d. Compostingmatter.com. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

One of Bill McKibben’s solutions for creating a sustainable living is to compost.

“If you assume every yard of compost offsests a yard of synthetic nitrogen, our little operation here is saving the equivalent of fifty-four thousand gallons of gasoline a year,” said compost business owner Tom Gilbert (160).

“I’ve stood in many tiny farm huts where the wife showed me, with considerable pride, the cooking flame provided by a biogas digester buried in the yard—pretty much a concrete tank, where you shovel the manure from a water buffalo or a cow or two” (192).

Created as a companion for Eaarth by Bill McKibben

“Compost Happens." Online Image. n.d. Eulesstx.gov. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

Decomposition happens naturally, so why not take hold of this process for our own good through composting?

Compost is decomposed organic material, such as leaves, shredded twigs, and kitchen scraps from plants. [3]

When all the organic material is done decomposing, it looks just like soil!

“Black Gold Compost." Online Image. n.d. Sungrow.com. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

To gardeners, compost is considered "black gold" because of its many benefits in the garden. Adding compost can improve the conditions of clay and sandy soils for plant growth and health. [3]

“Composting is also a good way to recycle leaves and other yard waste. Instead of paying a company to haul away leaves, you can compost the leaves and return the nutrients to your garden!”[3]

Yard and food waste contribute to 23 percent of the U.S. waste stream.[1] Composting returns this resource to the land instead of the landfill.

“Grasscycling." Online Image. n.d. Planetgreen.discovery.com. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

The percent of recovered yard trimmings for composting (or “grasscycling”) went up from 12 percent in 1990 to an estimated 56.9 percent in 2000. With this huge increase comes a composting industry “that has grown from less than 1,000 facilities in 1988 to nearly 3,800 in 2000.” [1]

These companies process compost and then bag and ship them for purchase at the retail level, but you can make your own in your backyard!

Morris, Joal. “Four Parts of Composting." Online Image. n.d. Aeonpi.com. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

The composting process is simple and involves four main components: organic matter, moisture, oxygen and bacteria. The organic material used should include a mixture of brown (dead leaves, twigs, manure) and green (lawn clippings, fruit rinds, etc.) organic material at a one–to-one ration. Generally, the brown materials supply carbon, while the green materials supply nitrogen.[3]

“Shredding, chopping or mowing these materials into smaller pieces will help speed the composting process by increasing the surface area.”[3]

“Compost Bacteria." Online Image. n.d. Compostheaven.com. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

Moisture is an important support to the composting process. The ideal amount of moisture in a compost pile is comparable to “the wetness of a wrung-out sponge.” If a pile is too dry, the materials will decompose very slowly--so add more water. If a pile is too wet, it will start to stink. In this case, turn the pile and mix the materials.

“Bacteria and other microorganisms are the real workers in the compost process” and they need oxygen.[3] To supply oxygen throughout the pile, the compost will need to be turned so that materials on the outside are brought to the center. “Turning the pile is important for complete composting and for controlling odor.” [3]

“Turning Compost." Online Image. n.d. Hubpages.com. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

As the bacteria decompose the materials, they release heat, which is concentrated in the center of the pile. “The center of a well-functioning pile will heat quickly to 90° to 140° F.”[6] When the pile is cool to touch, that means it is time to turn it.

Turning will help the compost process go quickly. “A pile with the right balance of materials and moisture, if turned every day, will compost completely in just a few weeks. A pile left to sit without turning could take months to decompose.” [6]

“Composting with Worms.” Online Image. n.d. Earth911.com. Web. 4 Oct. 2010

Another way to help a compost pile decompose more quickly is to add worms, turning it into a vermicompost. “These worms are the perfect working pets: They’re quiet, they never make a mess on your floor, and they don’t need to be walked.”[5]

A vericompost can even be done indoors without that horrible smell!

Of course, using worms means that you’re dealing with critters that need a more stable environment, and thus more attention than a crate in the backyard.

“Open heap compost.” Online Image. n.d. Environmental-courses.com. Web. 4 Oct. 2010

There are several ways to house your backyard compost pile. Some example are to place them in a plastic vessel, a wooden vessel, or just out in the open.

In a study on composting and its relationship to success as a potting soil, open heaps “(appeared) to produce better compost for seed sowing than containerized heaps but the resultant compost also (appeared) to contain more weeds and (was) not so effective for growing on nutrient-hungry plants.”[4]

“Vegetables." Online Image. n.d. Getrichslowly.org. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

“Did You Know That Compost Can...”[1]

Suppress plant diseases and pests. Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers. Promote higher yields of agricultural crops. Facilitate reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by amending contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils. Cost-effectively remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste. Remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from storm water runoff. Capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air. Provide cost savings of at least 50 percent over conventional soil, water, and air pollution remediation technologies, where applicable.

“Biogas digester in Japan.” Online Image. n.d. Folkecenter.net. Web. 4 Oct. 2010

The methane gas released during decomposition can also be used to generate electricity!

One composting plant in Everett, Washington, is trying to harvest its biogas in a $16 million digester, which could generate enough power for 1,200 homes. The company eventually hopes to build seven digesters, which could create enough power for up to 8,400 homes.[7]

“Compost Pile." Online Image. n.d. Richmond.ca. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

1. Start with a good layer of coarse organic material, such as straw, leaves or pruning at the bottom to allow air to circulate.

2. Add a good layer of nitrogen-rich green material followed by one layer of carbon-rich brown material, until the bin is full.

3. Compost requires air. Turn and stir your compost weekly so the organism get necessary oxygen.

4. Compost requires moisture. Water your compost bin frequently, to ensure it stays a moist as a wrung-out sponge.

5. Give it time - In 12-18 months, material at eh bottom and middle of the bin should be composted. Use this throughout your garden. Use the uncomposted material to start a new batch. Chipping or chopping the material can increase the speed of the process. Regular aeration is key to successful composting.

Green Material (Nitrogen-rich) Brown Material (Carbon-rich)

Plant trimmingsFruit and vegetable peelingsFresh grass clippingsCoffee grounds and tea leaves

Dry leavesStrawSawdustShree

From http://www.richmond.ca/services/recycling/composting/compost.htm

1. "Composting." US Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

2. "Compost-ology." City of Euless. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. 3. "The Composting Process." Composting in the Home

Garden. University of Illinois Extension. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. 4. Alexander, P. D. "An Assessment of the Suitability of

Backyard Produced Compost as a Potting Soil."Compost Science & Utilization 17.2 (2009): 74-84. GreenFILE. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

5. Firth, Marilyn. "Let Worms Eat Your Garbage." Natural Life 133 (2010): 28-31. GreenFILE. EBSCO. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

6. Pranis, Eve. "The Rottin' Truth." Gardening Resources. National Gardening Association. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

7. Sheets, Bill. "Everett Composting Odor Could Generate Electricity." Seattlepi.com. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 28 Sept. 2010. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

Back Cover Image

“Soil." Online Image. n.d. Sharecoast.ca. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.