Issue Exploration
The issue I have chosen to pursue is the lack of composting done here in the United States and on the Ohio State University campus, and with trying to solve this issue, I first have to look into the root causes as to why it is occuring. What I have found out to be the top root causes of this issue is the ignorance of the population on the topic of composting and their unwillingness to make composting apart of their lifestyle. When it comes to the ignorance, some people don’t know about compost and may have heard of it a few times in their lifetime, but still do not understand what benefit is has towards our environment. When it comes to the populations unwillingness, I am referring to the fact that providing a composting service to homes in the U.S., would come at a cost, rather as a separate fee or addition to taxes. Unfortunately, this is a price not too many Americans are willing to pay even though these people would participate in composting otherwise. Another root cause that braches off of this one is the complexity of the process if it were to be in effect, such as the collecting services, transportation of waste along with finding areas in which the composting would take place.
The greatest challenge I think I will currently face trying to address these root causes, is effectively getting through to people in order to sway their minds to compost, and the ways in which I would have to go about this process is by informing and teaching. Even after the minds of the people are convinced that composting is the right action to take, there is still the matter of creating an effective and affordable process that would actually make a difference for the environment. The most discouraging realization is that all together, this process will take a very long time due to how many steps are involved and how much reliance the process is dependent on the response of the population.
My issue impacts the Ohio State Community because the university uses compostable food containers, which all in all is a great resource, yet it is all for nothing if there are no compost bins located on campus, and these containers end up in the trash anyway. Knowing that the university has its sustainable dinning protocols enforced at the traditions and Scott, Kennnedy and the Ohio Union speaks volumes towards the effort it’s trying to put in towards being a green campus. I feel that this much effort in addition to a larger amount of student contribution, would be enough that we need to start a composting program on campus. Hopefully, if successful, our impact will be enough to inspire others around us to take action themselves and from there, cause a chain reaction into the communities that surround the university. As of right now, there unfortunately is not a composting organization at the Ohio State University however there is a Sustainability Committee that addresses climate change, waste reduction and habitat loss.
Image of just leaves that have been composted
I watched the TEDx Talk video called “Everything You Know About Composting is Wrong: Mike McGrath at TEDxPheonixville”, and what I learned was one of the most effective ways to compost successfully and what products to use, which are fallen leaves from trees and coffee grounds. This information is helpful in my pursuit towards ending this issue because, this process is a good starting point for those people who do not compost to start doing so because of how relatively easy it is. This would probably aid in teaching that composting is not as hard as people may think, and that you can start the process with a few easy steps.
An example of an optional structure you can build at home to start composting
https://compostingcouncil.org/bylaws/
https://compostingcouncil.org/state-compost-regulations-map/
https://dining.osu.edu/sustainability/composting-and-recycling/
https://usg.osu.edu/commit/issues_committees/sustainability