Mandatory Compost in San Francisco

'I left my heart in San Francisco. High on a hill, it calls to me.
The morning fog may chill the air - I don't care.
My love waits there in San Francisco
above the blue and windy sea!'
- Dean Martin

Though I have been away for a few years I still feel close to San Francisco. I left a lot of friends, my bike, my surfboard and my heart there. It is a city which represents the progresss toward the Ecotopia dream of my youth. San Francisco is a beacon of progressive policies and steps toward a sustainable relationship between humans and the environment.

Before I go beekeeping this morning I wanted to congratulate that great city on yet another step toward that ideal: This morning I read Gavin Newsom's June 23rd article on Greenbiz.com. He has signed in a tough new law that all businesses and individuals in the city must now compost their waste. All this in the interest of meeting the goal of zero waste by 2020.

'It will take time, but I believe mandatory composting will spread across the country -
improving the air we breathe and reducing our need for landfills.'
-Mayor Gavin Newsom

More Information about San Francisco Recycling Programs.

IFOAM Growing Organic Useful Composting Links page.

IFOAM Growing Organic Pages on Soil Fertility and Plant Cultivation.

Cory's Dr Green Blog Posts:
Small is Beautiful
Give Organic a Chance
Beekeeping
No Work Farming
Growing Organic

Visit Farmers for the Future

Climate Change Talks

I am writing this morning with a little bit of disappointment and frustration. The UN Climate Negotiations here in Bonn have just ended without much change to show for it. Representatives from 182 countries met for 12 days here in Bonn and pushed around a few agenda items. Nothing much happened, as you can see on the UNFCC website, with an issue that requires immediate and drastic action. As we know this is a turning point in history. Al Gore and Bill McKibben are working hard to spread the word and I feel inspired to do all I can to help.

This is an important time for us to stand up and tell these world leaders that we want to live equitably with the rest of the species that inhabit this planet. In today's news Mekong River Irrawady Dolphins are fast approaching extinction because the river they live in crosses through 5 different countries. The governments of Burma, Thailand, China, Laos and Cambodia are having trouble making decisions together and, though they are encouraged (by WWF Cambodia among others) to take unanimous action, are proving to be unable to stop the polluting of the river. This does not have to be the fate of these dolphins or the thousands of other species who will likely go extinct this year. We must encourage our governments to put environmental issues on the top of the agenda. Without a healthy, clean, biologically productive and rich environment we cannot hope to have peace or save our economies.

During the UN talks here in Bonn Yvo de Boer (UNFCC Executive Secretary) encouraged the NGOs to activate the membership 'out on the street' before the next talks in Copenhagen. This is an important time for us to make some noise - world leaders do not know what they are doing. Politics, bureaucracy, and money are serving as veils. They desperately need our guidance.

Al Gore.com is a place where a lot of information and opportunity for action is posted.

350.org has a new video that needs to be shown to as many people as possible.

Finally, the We Can Solve It Campaign is now over 2 million members strong and could still use more support.

Cory's Dr Green Blog Posts:
Small is Beautiful
Give Organic a Chance
Beekeeping
No Work Farming
Growing Organic

Pest Management at Home

I am talking a lot about using Integrated Pest Management in forests. Now I want to say little about pest management in the home garden.

Geranium plants, oil, and candles are a great solution. I also keep a lot of habitat outside and in for frogs, birds and predator insects.

The University of Maine did some research on beneficial insect habitat last year:
http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/7150.htm