THE 5Rs OF ZERO WASTE MANAGEMENT ( Part 3 )

5.Rot What’s Left

The ultimate step in the 5 R’s of zero waste living is to rot, in other words compost. You can do a lot with your food scraps rather than throw them in the waste bin. Compost them and you’ll be creating a nutrient rich fertilizer you can use in your garden. 

It’s estimated that 60% of landfills in the US are full of organic matter. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have time to break down because landfills aren’t aerated. Instead, the organic matter releases methane into the atmosphere, thereby hastening climate related issues. Because the organic materials are mixed together with inorganic materials,  a perfect preserved atmosphere is created.

Indoor composting is what you need to be doing if you don’t have an outside space. Worm bins are the most common way to compost indoors. Make sure you keep a good mix of carbon (paper, cardboard, newspaper, dry leaves) and nitrogen (food scraps). Around 50/50 is best. Add to your compost bin some composting worms and you’re good to go. 

Another option is a Bokashi Bin. It’s a big bucket into which you put all your composting material. You mash it down and then add an activator mix full of microbes that speeds up the decomposition process. Compost can be created in as little as 4 weeks. 

What can you compost? You can compost plant materials like veggie scraps, non-citrus fruit peels and seeds, nut shells, as well as egg shells, coffee grinds, loose tea, brown paper, hair (non-chemically processed), nail clippings (unpolished) and fireplace ashes.

Regardless of your chosen compost method, watch your household waste output shrink before your very eyes! 

Taking a look at the above 5Rs of waste management we conclude how important it is to effectively utilize these methods in our journey to Zero Waste lifestyle. None of them are easy to apply but we can start small scaled with baby steps until it becomes a lifestyle passed on to our generations. 

Here is a take on the 5Rs of waste management by one of our Facebook family members: 

Kibet Ron -

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Deforestation Part 3: REASONS / CAUSES

In our last chapter we learnt about the history and how deforestation started. We found out that deforestation is part of climate change hence a natural occurrence over time. However we found out that it has rapidly increased due to human involvement. In this chapter we will focus mostly on such involvements.

1. Natural Causes

• Climate Change is any significant long-term change in the expected patterns of average weather of a region or the whole earth over significant period of time. It is an inevitable occurrence which take place with time. 
• Deforestation is both a cause and an effect of climate change which damages forests, for instance by drying out tropical rainforests. 
• Forest fires is another natural cause as recently experienced in Australia. According to WWF, each year fires burn millions of hectares of forests worldwide. Forests fires are a natural cause however, degraded forests including heavily logged rainforests, are more vulnerable.

      2. Farming

• Agriculture expansion and livestock farming are one of the biggest reasons for cutting down forests to accommodate such practice. 
• According to an article in One Green Planet, since 1990, Brazil, a top exporter of beef has lost an area of forest that is three-fourth the size of Texas. Farmers often clear the land for cattle by using slash and burn techniques. Other countries which are top beef suppliers and experience deforestation include Mexico, Uruguay and Argentina. 
• Slash and burn technique is also used to clear land for farming. Such technique is commonly used to clear forests in Southeast Asia, tropical Africa and the Americas for permanent oil palm plantations.

   3. Lumbering

• Illegal and unsustainable logging is another cause of deforestation happening in many countries such as Brazil and Indonesia. Trees are also cut down for use of firewood, paper and furniture. 

      4. Expansion of Infrastructure

• Road construction can lead to deforestation by providing an entryway to previously remote land. The cleared land then attracts an influx of settlers, and construction of other infrastructure such as residential and commercial buildings.  

      5. Overpopulation 

• All the mentioned causes above increase as population and demand increase. Currently there are about 8 Billion people on the earth and as population increases, the forests and natural resources get depleted at a faster rate. 

There are many other causes for deforestation but we have listed the main ones which have increased the rate of deforestation. In our next chapter we will be looking at the effects of deforestation. However, we will divide them into pros and cons, to focus on how deforestation has helped the economy and its negative effects.

    

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