The Chic Ecologist

Biosolids and Compost

Last week, the Organic Consumers Association took a stand outside the mayor’s office in San Francisco to protest the city’s recent free composting program. (Read the article from their site here). It might sound like an odd thing to protest, especially with all the amazing benefits of composting. The national group chose San Francisco to demonstrate against since it is one of the most “green” cities in the U.S. and they felt that it would reach the best audience.

This group claims that the compost that was handed out “usually includes a number of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals, steroids, flame-retardants, bacteria (including antibiotic-resistant bacteria), fungi, parasites and viruses.” They cite an EPA survey that found heavy metals, steroids, anions, and pharmaceuticals in the biosolids from around the country

Many local governments have adopted the practice of turning biosolids into fertilizer to be sold or handed out for free. A biosolid is made from treated and processed sewage. The EPA claims that these biosolids contain “nutrient-rich organic materials”. Be careful to realize that when they say organic here, they do not mean certified organic, but organic as in organic chemistry. Read more about biosolids on the EPA’s website.

The reasoning for taking sewage and turning it into biosolids for farms and gardens sounds compelling at first glance. In the past, this sewage was dumped straight into lakes, streams, and other natural water sources. › Continue reading

Tags: biosolids, compost, Environmental Awareness, gardening, Organic, protest, San Francisco

Container Gardening

I’ve always admired gardeners for a hobby that produces food that’s not only delicious, but also eco-friendly and sustainable.  I mean, what’s more local than your own backyard? The University of Washington and the City of Seattle did a study on greenhouse gas emissions from locally sourced food versus food sourced out of state or internationally. (Find it here) They found that the fuel used to transportation non-local fruits and vegetables produced almost six times as much CO2 as local alternatives. That’s a lot of CO2 we can cut out of our daily lives by simply eating locally sourced and homegrown food.

Growing up, I hated gardening. However now that I’ve matured a bit, as my mother would say, I’ve found a type of gardening that’s right up my alley.   Container gardening. Container gardening is great because even those with apartments, can do it. And these days there are so many recycled, or compostable options for containers, that’s there’s really no excuse to not give it a try.

The best way to start is to pick something to plant that you’ll actually eat. There’s no point growing something that you won’t eat or store for later. For me, I chose zucchini and strawberries. I eat them raw, as well as making them into zucchini bread and strawberry jam. It’s fantastic to eat the fruits of my labors year round. It’s also important to pick something that does well in your climate and that you’ll actually be able to devote the time to upkeep. Also make sure you know when to plant, and what to expect from your plants. Try the Farmer’s Almanac for a list of last expected frost dates as a start. So do your research and if all else fails, hit your local garden store, there’s always someone there waiting to convert another person to gardening.

› Continue reading

Tags: backyard, gardening, Organic, Plants, sustainable

Green Living Walls, Vertical Gardens, Urban Rainforests, oh my!

So you say you have no space for a garden? Poppycock! You can always go vertical. This may conjure up thoughts of the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon, but the modern interpretation is just as stunning. A blend of architectural innovation and imaginative gardening resulted in these ‘living walls’. Not only are they beautiful, they are complete ecosystems. Plants, bacteria, microbes and insects all work together to form these amazing gardens. They have been built to cover entire buildings right down to just a simple wall piece for your home.

Relatively easy to keep due to advancements in technologies, they can even be built to recycle greywater (the stuff that goes down your sink). Putting these together can be difficult without the proper knowledge of anchoring, irrigation, and plant selection, but there are experts out there.

For commercial installations, Patrick Blanc (the creator of Vertical Gardens or le mur vegetal, meaning vegetal wall) is probably the most famous, covering Museums, Malls, Restaurants and more. There are a few others that offer DIY kits that you can order, such as ELT, who also produce green roofs much the same way.

These make great outdoor wall coverings, but some people even have them indoors, as living wallpaper. They can even be seen in stores as part of product displays or framed much like a painting. An added benefit is that it will increase humidity in the room (not to mention the smell of fresh air), for those dry climates. For a more technical description, check out the wiki article on green walls.

Just another way to reduce your carbon footprint, enjoy some fresh oxygen and surround yourself with a rainforest-like atmosphere.

[via pingmag]

Tags: Architecture, gardening, Living Wall, Plants