Composting !

http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module15/Composting.htm

Composting is the purposeful bio-degradation of organic materials.  Yard and food waste are compiled into a collection where they can decompose and be recycled as a fertilizer or some sort of soil nutrient.  It is an excellent method to put our wastes to good use by letting them function as a plant and good soil stimulant in the long run.  


Worms and fungi break up the material deposited into the compost.  Aerobic bacteria are responsible for the chemical breakdown of the matter by converting it into heat, carbon dioxide, and ammonium.  The ammonium is then further refined by the bacteria into plant nourishing nitrates.  


Composts are rich in nutrients and are great for gardens, landscaping, and other types of agriculture.  It also provides a natural pesticide for the soil and is a great source of nourishment.  With all of the pollution and excess trash we have in our world today, it is just one more thing we can do to try and make a difference in the health of our environment.

Cambodia Disaster

http://www.demotix.com/news/35347/people-living-garbage-dump-cambodia

When researching the build up of trash in non-developed countries, I came accross this article explaining how the poor people of rural Cambodia were struggling to find a job that would provide enough for the well being of them and their families.  These people have now had to resort to getting jobs in the dump and therefore living near the dump in order to earn more.  Illness and disease is of course very abundant in this environment as well as the dangers of even being there.  Several children have been reported killed by the trucks discharging trash into the dump.  Medical problems have stemmed from contact with the waste.  This article opened my eyes to the relation between economic trouble and the environments people have to resort to living and working in.  Chemicals in the trash are inhaled all day long by these people that ultimately have had no choice but to work there.  This short article is just a small depiction of what every day life is like for these people and shows that people every where are suffering from pollution.  Economic strength is required to make a real change in how we are going to deal with the pollution problems of the world.  And seeing the conditions that some people have to live in is an eye opener to the motivations we should have to want to make a difference and change. 

Landfills

A landfill is a dump or rubbish dump that is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial.  It is the oldest form of waste treatment.  At first, a huge hole is dug in the ground to start to compilement or trash.  Layers of dirt are put over to cover it and then the cycle continues.  Locally,  we know that our trash goes to the dump that we pass when driving up to Miami University for example.  The top of this mountain of trash is the highest point in all of Ohio, that's saying something!  Landfills are the route we will take to dispose of our trash until we find a better solution, but in the meantime to keep these piles from reaching sky-high levels, we should do our best to recycle and re use everything we possibly can!

Space In The Dump

http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module15/MunicipalSolidWaste.htm

Trash is usually the common word that we use to refer to our garbage, or otherwise known as Municipal Solid Waste; consisting of anything that is normally and regularly discarded from our homes and community.  This does not include waste from industrial activities.  The weight of this waste, along with its volume are very important when it comes to the factors involved in how much space it takes up in the dump or landfill.  Conserving space is important because the build up of these materials can be devastating to the environment and fatal to it's inhabitants.  We can all make a difference; reduce, reuse, and recycle!!!

Recycling and Disposal of Trash

The ways that we recycle and dispose of waste in our world is extremely important to our own health as well as the environment's.  Over time, a build up of waste has the potential of being a devastating blow to the environment.  As the people living on this earth, we have a responsibility to complete this process the best way we can.  This blog will be dedicated to exploring the process we don't get to see involving the disposal of our waste.  What happens in the dump?  Wheree does our trash go once we put it outside to be picked up?  What can we do to conserve our resources?  We will see...