Why Composting Counts

The next time you go to scrape leftover food into a bin after a meal, it’s worth having a think about the consequences of this alltoo-common ritual – and how we might be able to make a change for the benefit of the environment.

- Cathie Hearns

Whether you’re a global-warming warrior or a climate change sceptic, no one can deny that our human presence on earth is leaving a less than desirable footprint. Landfills are overflowing and chemical-laden industrial and farming practices are polluting our water systems. Fertile topsoil, in which 95 percent of our food is grown, is disappearing way faster than it’s being replenished, and bird and insect populations are decreasing.

Regardless of what lies ahead with the climate, we need to be living a more environment- and future-friendly existence. While it’s easy to blame rising populations, poor governance or unethical business decisions, there is one very easy and effective way we can all make a difference on an individual basis.

The menace of methane

First, let’s take a look at the bigger picture of what’s going on in the air around us. While many may be familiar with the most prolific of the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, there are a number of other nasties out there that are coming under the microscope. The most notable of these is methane (chemical formula: CH4).

Since the Industrial Revolution, methane concent ra t ions in the atmosphere have increased by over 150 percent. As a gas that is involved in the ground-level formation of the air pollutant ozone, as well as having exceptional heat-absorbing capabilities (84 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period!), methane could exacerbate extreme weather conditions in the short term and increase the risk of respiratory health issues.