Food For Thought
Composting and its Negative Externality?
Hannah Wei
Last Updated: 5/7/08 Section: News
Composting has in recent years become one of many popular "save the earth" campaigns. Environmentally cautious households and schools including Pitzer College have adopted such programs. Pitzer often prides itself in its efforts to "recycle" the earth's natural resources by using composted wastes to fertilize its vegetable garden. Dumping kitchen wastes, human hair, and even manure into one's backyard has gone from being frowned upon for its unhygienic practice to being encouraged.
Even the City Farmer Organization notes, "Such materials (if clean) are of value to crop growing but of particular value to quick growing high value horticultural crops." The controversies of composting, however, lie in the words "if clean." Students ought to consider the possible externalities of composting before becoming eager to embrace Pitzer's program and trying to instill similar composting programs at 5C dining halls. One must first assess what experts consider to be a critical problem composting can create.
Using composted wastes that contain diseases as fertilizer may lead to the growth of unhealthy and unclean vegetables. Crops and plants may inherit bacteria and viruses contained in the compost bins. Consuming such foods can harm one's basic well being, and compost bins can easily be infected with such germs. If a contagious person pours his or her plate of food into the compost pile, the entire bin may be contaminated.
Just as professional manure companies sterilize animal wastes through the use of heat and chemical processes, it is essential to sanitize the compost pile. Households and school dining halls often do not have access to such sanitary processes. As with many "miraculous solutions" promised in today's society, the long run effects on humans and the environment are yet to be fully understood. At the minimum, compost programs must take precautions to ensure that only sanitary fertilizers are being used. As responsible students, we must recognize that no solution to our problems is perfect, and sometimes the costs outweigh the benefits. As science helps us understand more about the world, we are always reminded that there are no simple panaceas.
Even the City Farmer Organization notes, "Such materials (if clean) are of value to crop growing but of particular value to quick growing high value horticultural crops." The controversies of composting, however, lie in the words "if clean." Students ought to consider the possible externalities of composting before becoming eager to embrace Pitzer's program and trying to instill similar composting programs at 5C dining halls. One must first assess what experts consider to be a critical problem composting can create.
Using composted wastes that contain diseases as fertilizer may lead to the growth of unhealthy and unclean vegetables. Crops and plants may inherit bacteria and viruses contained in the compost bins. Consuming such foods can harm one's basic well being, and compost bins can easily be infected with such germs. If a contagious person pours his or her plate of food into the compost pile, the entire bin may be contaminated.
Just as professional manure companies sterilize animal wastes through the use of heat and chemical processes, it is essential to sanitize the compost pile. Households and school dining halls often do not have access to such sanitary processes. As with many "miraculous solutions" promised in today's society, the long run effects on humans and the environment are yet to be fully understood. At the minimum, compost programs must take precautions to ensure that only sanitary fertilizers are being used. As responsible students, we must recognize that no solution to our problems is perfect, and sometimes the costs outweigh the benefits. As science helps us understand more about the world, we are always reminded that there are no simple panaceas.
Be the first to comment on this story