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The National Academy of Sciences has released a report exploring the connection between soil health and human health. The report suggests that healthy soil contributes to healthy people, although the relationship is not well understood. While organic food is often seen as a way to promote soil health, the reality is more complex. The report also highlights the importance of compost and biosolids in improving soil health, but raises concerns about contaminants in these materials. The Organic Certification program, which sets standards for organic food production, may need to be reevaluated in light of new understandings of soil health. [Extracted from the article]

Compost is beneficial for urban soils as it provides organic matter and improves water absorption, making lawns more drought-resistant. However, some municipalities are hesitant to use compost due to concerns about phosphorus and water quality. While nitrogen and phosphorus can cause eutrophication, compost can help mitigate this issue. Phosphorus only moves sideways and can be bound by clays in the soil, reducing its movement into water. By measuring phosphorus saturation ratios, it is possible to determine if compost is a suitable solution for reducing phosphorus runoff. Additionally, designer composts can be created by adding iron or aluminum to increase phosphorus binding capacity. Overall, compost can be a valuable tool for improving water quality and should be considered as a solution rather than a concern. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the concept of reciprocity with nature and the potential benefits of using biosolids and composts as tools for giving back to the environment. The author, Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, emphasizes the importance of taking only what is needed and leaving some for others, while also recognizing and respecting the animate beings in nature. The author suggests that biosolids and composts can be viewed as valuable resources that provide important soil nutrients and contribute to the natural cycle. The article highlights the positive effects of using these materials in restoring polluted sites and promoting plant growth. The author concludes by advocating for a shift in perspective and providing individuals with the tools and motivation to contribute to environmental solutions. [Extracted from the article]

A peer-reviewed paper published in Nature Cities claims that urban agriculture has six times the carbon intensity of conventional agriculture. The paper is based on survey results from gardens in France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. The authors used a model called Ecoinvent to calculate emissions, but the assumptions in the model were not shared. The study found that urban farms had lower emissions than traditional agriculture within three years of establishment, while individual and collective urban gardens had higher emissions. The paper acknowledges the benefits of urban agriculture, such as better eating habits and a connection to nature and neighbors, but suggests that current practices may need improvement. [Extracted from the article]

JULY 28, 2020 Part I Can Compost Draw Down Carbon? If you've seen how compost can bring dead soils to life and supersize plants, it is clear how compost can enhance all of the biological processes in treating storm water. Again compost filter socks and wetlands with engineered soils incorporating compost. Compost tools include filter socks, and biofilters and wetlands using engineered soil with compost. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents a paper that details a statistical analysis based on a life cycle analysis (LCA) to compare land application of compost to compost applied as landfill daily cover. It discusses that impact of wasting organics as landfill, along with mentions the nitrogen and carbon sequestration assumptions.

The article offers information on Compost which is a natural fertilizer and soil conditioner made from decomposed organic matter. It mentions that it is important to note that composting can be a complex process, and not all organic matter that can be composted should be added to a compost pile; foods such as meat, fish, and dairy products attract pests and can create unpleasant odors as they decompose.

The article offers information about the comparison of composts and a Class A biosolids blend to chemical fertilizer to measure soil and plant benefits. It mentions about the business of making compost or making a potting soil blend with the biosolids, feedstocks and quantities matter. It discusses the increasing use of vermicompost on plants.

The article highlights that the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, can help to encourage changes in agricultural practices through implementing programs that support or provide financial assistance to growers who implement beneficial practices.

An interview with Andrew Carpenter, who runs a business that includes sampling soils and other environmental media for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, is presented. Carpenter tells about the recycling of biosolids in Maine either through Class B land application programs or Class A general distribution programs. He talks about farms with extremely high PFAS concentrations and the cumulative loading and approximate estimated biosolids concentrations in Maine.

The article explores how to evaluate different properties for a potential composting facility location. Topics include Planning a new merchant organics recycling facility requires considerable thought and investigation at possible sites for a composting facility; and covered methods to assess the markets' potential to absorb your compost and/or soils products.

The article explores how biosolids are pelletized and used in western Massachusetts. described how a portion of the collected material will be sent to anaerobic digesters located at the wastewater treatment plant in North Andover, Massachusetts; and concentrations of California Association of Sanitation Agencies compounds in various consumer products and biosolids.

The article reviews several household food waste devices, including the Vitamix food cycler, the Reencle food recycler, and the Kitchen waste composter from BeyondGreen.

In the article, the author discusses the efforts of governments around the world to reduce methane (CH4) emissions and recycle food scraps to help protect the environment. Also cited are the need to address nitrous oxide (N2O), which is claimed to have around 300 times global warming potential of methane, and some high risk materials like animal slurries, wastewater and biosolids.

The article offers information on the development of soil function to reduce contaminant concentration and bioavailability. It is stated that a contaminant in urban soils is present at higher concentrations, which can cause harm, and its measure is known as bioavailability. It notes the elevated soil lead, which causes lead poisoning, and the use of compost for lead reduction. It also mentions the importance of assessing the soil contaminant bioavailability before starting a garden.

The article presents the application of organics increases soil water, resulting in greater drought tolerance for non-irrigated crops and less frequent irrigation for irrigated crops. Topics include the climate can impact water demand above what is required for photosynthesis by increasing transpiration demand, the transpiration is the process of water movement from plant roots up through leaves and into the atmosphere, and the plants have to maintain equilibrium in internal water pressure.

In the article, the author discusses some ways ordinary citizens in the U.S. can help mitigate climate change by citing as example the efforts by a lawyer in Missouri. She claims that projects like combined curbside collection of food scraps and yard trimmings for said purpose could be launched at the local levels for better chance of success. Other suggestions include composting in one's backyard, establishing compost bins in schools, and lobbying to town councils to subsidize compost bins.

The article discusses the potential environmental benefits and global warming impact of composting. It is stated that the three core elements of composting namely, feedstocks, composting process and compost use helps prevents global warming and showed that its environmental friendly practices limit emissions of greenhouse gasses. Proper management and practice of composting process is critical to minimize greenhouse gas emissions such as diverting food residuals from landfills and proper application of compost use in vineyards. However, the use of equipment to set up compost piles and gas emissions from piles during composting are also sources of emission but they can be reduced by use of renewable energy and careful control of the compost process to eliminate anaerobic conditions.

In the article, the author discusses environmental protection issues, particularly how too much quantity of even good things could lead to adverse results. She cites as example how too much dumping of lawn clippings will kill the grass, how too much discharge of effluent after primary treatment into lakes, rivers and oceans will pollute them, and the need to control the release of recycled organics to avoid their bad results.

There are almost as many typesof weeds as there are pathogens and they all havedifferent sensitivities. Compostfor management of weed seeds, pathogen, and early blighton brassicas in organic farmer fields. The time portion of the three "Ts" is to make sure thatthe time required to kill the pathogens is well exceeded.A fairly recent review (Wichuk and McCartney, 2007) goesinto more detail on the different pathogens, what themechanisms are that render them harmless, and thedifferent times and temperatures required to do so. [Extracted from the article]

If highways used thecompost the same way a good farmer does: 145,000 tons ofcompost for Caltrans/750,750 total tons of compost = 19%of the total compost produced. (Above)Application of compost blanket Photos courtesy ofCaltrans Photo courtesy of Caltrans Utilization of compost socks on slope in California Photocourtesy of Caltrans References Brown, S. and N. Beecher. CLIMATE, CONNECTIONS, MARKETS, STORM WATER MANAGEMENT If highways used compost the same way a good farmerdoes, Departments of Transportation would becomesubstantial compost consumers. [Extracted from the article]

For example, compost that is cured outside will show better disease suppression because a wider variety of microbes will have come to settle in the material than when compost is cured in a closed environment. The soils without the compost had 4 to 5 times as many disease-causing pathogens at day 10 in comparison to the soils with the compost. [Extracted from the article]

The soils without the compost had 4 to 5 times as many disease-causing pathogens at day 10 in comparison to the soils with the compost. PHOTO (COLOR): The University of California Davis researchers took soil samples from long-term field plots at UC Davis' Russell Ranch and infected them with Salmonella and Listeria. [Extracted from the article]

The article report that the Drawdown ranks 80 different ways that actually remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, drawing down its concentration. Topics discussed include the Drawdown authors note that 70% to 80% of all the water we use requires pumping and moving. Water is heavy and pumping it requires a lot of energy; and they also note that using efficient irrigation systems, such as sprinkler or drip, would cut energy use and save water by up to 40% and 25%, respectively.

The article offers information on a test of measuring of total soil organic carbon and bulk density in soils that had been established 19 years prior, and found that decrease in bulk density has to be accompanied by sufficiently high increases in carbon or increases in carbon across soil depths.

In this article, the author discusses odor at composting facilities, which has been a major issue, responsible for multiple lawsuits and expensive facility closures. It mentions that gas chromatography (GC) provides a quantitative mixture. It states that Guatamalan brewery, Cervecería Centro Americana (CCA), is utilizing a combination of Global Water & Energy (GWE) technologies to convert wastewater into biogas while removing Chemical Oxygen Demand in the effluent.

The article focuses on research study modeled likely rates of carbon sequestration for urban uses of compost and the applications included growing lawns, trees, urban agriculture and for use alongside urban roadways. Topics include the small portion of the biosolids has produced has been composted by a private company, and the company is shutting down and the County is working to start its own biosolids composting facility.

The article presents the interview with Scott Subler, the Chief Science Officer at ClimeCo. Topics include the U.S., only a handful of composting facilities has received carbon credits is despite a growing market demand for carbon credits from this project type, and the largely a result of competing regulations in the form of organic waste diversion mandates that render composting projects ineligible for offset credits.

The article offers information on role of urban composting facility to reduce transport distance and emissions. Topics discussed include potential for carbon storage in urban soils; estimation of solids content and a wet bulk density for yard trimmings in King County, Washington; and need to enhance environmental awareness.

The article discusses volatile organic compounds (VOC) in composting, how are they measured, and the regulatory requirements in California to control them. Topics include the changes to the South Coast (CA) Air Quality Management District's (SCAQMD) methods in VOC measurement, the equation used by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in calculating emissions from composting facilities, and some new testing technologies like the electronic nose (e-nose).

The article discusses the regulatory landscape for composting and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Topics mentioned include two reasons why regulations requiring measurement of volatile organic compounds for composting are problematic, an expansion in use of composts to promote soil carbon sequestration and soil health, and the South Coast (California) Air Quality Management District standard for VOCs.

The article focuses on growing number of composting facilities are required to measure and report volatile organic compounds and ammonia emissions. Topics include the Air Quality Management Districts (AQMDs) were not meeting air quality standards for reducing smog, the quantifying air emissions is becoming an increasingly common component in siting, and operating permits for composting facilities in the U.S. and Canada.

The article focuses on calculating potential for compost use on highways is to consider the centerline miles, which are a measure of how far a highway goes, not how wide it is. Topics include the Departments of Transportation (DOTs) also care about lane miles being likely never going to be the case that DOTs put vegetative strips between lanes, and Texas (TX), Washington (WA) and California (CA) are three states that have found the value of the brown.

In this article the author talks about 7-part series on the impact of compost use on carbon emissions, and the series was in part a response to Drawdown, a guide to reducing carbon emissions with technologies that have in hand. It mentions that the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Texas works to keep right of ways in bloom with local wildflowers. I've even seen small bits of this in Washington state.

The article focuses on the key findings in the literature on carbon and water savings associated with efficient irrigation systems, and highlighted data on increased soil organic matter and water holding and infiltration capacity of the amended soil. It mentions that in addition to the high value stuff, California also has plenty of acres in less intensive agriculture; and field crops accounted for 11 percent of California's total agricultural revenue in 2015.

The article focuses on compost as the cheapest irrigation system from the book "Drawdown" edited by Paul Hawken. Topics discussed include concerns about climate change and water scarcity; the use of drip or sprinkler systems from irrigated cropland covers and changes in soil physical properties due to organic waste applications.

The article offers information on the works of adding recycle organics to soils and accomplishing the tasks set out for soils. It mentions about plants growing in soil are part of the short-term carbon cycle; and also highlights about release of Carbon dioxide by the annual cycle of growth and decay to be part of the short-term carbon cycle.

The article provides information on compost and rainwater infiltration. Topics discussed include the steps in calculating water infiltration, infiltration mathematics, how organic matter helps soil infiltrate water, components of soils, and a way to determine the density of the soil as well as an example.

The article discusses the growing business of cannabis and the use of compost in growing the plant in the U.S. Topics discussed include information from interviews with growers and retailers in Washington after cannabis became legal and the potential for composters to work with cannabis growers to reduce their environmental footprint.

The article offers information on how to make a high quality compost using temperature, turning and time (Ts). Topics mention including the primary reason regarding the requirement of the standards which is to kill the pathogens, several types of pathogens with different sensitivities and adherence to the three Ts will give a better product.

The article highlights the challenges related to recycling of Christmas trees. Topics discussed include use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in making of Christmas Trees; placing dead trees on beaches to reduce erosion and putting them into lakes and ponds; and evaluates the VIBRA-SNAP Screen from Action Equipment Co.