Transcript Slide 1

The ABCs on establishing an effective school composting
program … The 5 Ws and 1 H.
By: Shankara Venezio, Kelsea Shubert, and Chris Riegel
▪Letter of Recommendation (pg.2)
▪Diagram of Bacteria (pg. 3)
▪Bacteria to Other Organisms (pg. 4)
▪Role of Bacteria in Composting/ to Ecology
(pg. 5)
▪Process of Composting (pg. 6)
▪Diagram of the Process of Composting (pg. 7)
▪Products of Composting (pg. 8)
▪Benefiting the Society (pg. 9)
▪Requirements for Composting/Pros and Cons
of Composting at School (pg. 10)
▪Budget (pg. 11)
▪Budget Data Table (pg. 12)
▪Opinion Poll (pg. 13)
▪Conclusion (pg. 14)
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November 2, 2010
Dear Mr. Flood,
When you traverse these hallways day after day, do you
observe different things and contemplate what exactly could make this
school that much better?
In Biology, Mrs. Hansen has introduced the sophomore class to
the diverse ways of studying bacteria. As our group was studying, we
ended up taking a detour toward the lane of composting. We have since
discovered that with just a few slight adjustments and some cooperation
from Beatty High School Staff and Student Body that we can be well on our
way to benefitting not only ourselves as a school, but America as a whole.
To do this, the steps are quite simple and they will be explained
in depth as you read along. Yes, we must be up for some change, but it
will be worth it!
Composting will help out our environment and our school in
many different ways. The students will learn how to become responsible
consumers by thinking about what happens to the waste they create once it
“disappears” into a trash can, and our fields and lawns will eventually be
healthy and green!
Composting will help improve Beatty High School all around.
We hope you will consider taking on a composting program. If we are
successful, there will be a few less things to reflect on when you traverse
these halls, and Beatty High School will be able to say they cleaned up
their footprints before they were stuck there forever.
Sincerely,
Shankara Venezio
______________________
Kelsea Shubert
______________________
Chris Riegel
______________________
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First off, bacteria are different from all other organisms
simply because they are prokaryotic which means they lack
membrane-bound organelles. Bacteria cells are also very small
whereas the cells of other organisms aren’t so tiny. Lastly, bacteria
only consist of a single cell and other organisms have multi-cells
which function simultaneously.
Compared to viruses, bacteria can grow on non-living
surfaces, whereas viruses must have a living host in order to
multiply. Some bacteria are beneficial, but all viruses are harmful.
Antibiotics can be provided and consumed to kill a bacteria but not
a virus.
Bacteria are more similar to you and me. They exhibit
the basic characteristics of all living things like breathing,
producing waste, metabolizing, and maintaining a membrane
potential. However, their major distinction involves the fact that
bacteria do not have a nucleus.
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https://www.groundgrocer.com/product_im
ages/uploaded_images/earthmaker01a.jpg
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Go to your fridge or your
favorite store and grab a container
of yogurt. The label on the back
says “probiotic”, which indicates
that bacterial species have been
reported to help immunity and
digestive health.
When our assortment of
intestinal bacteria become
unbalanced from a new stain of
bacteria such as touching dirty
hands and objects or eating
somewhere new, we can get sick.
From this, we could experience
things like food poisoning.
Antibiotic medications can also
disrupt your balance by reducing
critical populations. When our
bacterial concentrations return to
normal and our bodies have
adjusted to its new stains, our good
health and normal balance resume.
Bacteria reproduce in most
biological processes. The raw
material of the compost that is
•
Utilizing the same principles
transformed into the soil like
of
balance
and equilibrium, can you
structure is actually the bacteria.
imagine
how
bacteria can either
(It is the bacteria in our intestinal
maintain good health or lead to
system that help convert the food
illness in an ecosystem which can
we consume into the nutrients and
lead to environmental distress or
energy our bodies need to
possibly even the loss of an
function.) It is bacteria in certain
ecosystem or the extinction of a
plants that renovate nitrogen from
whole species?
the air into a form which plants use
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On the roots of many
for healthy growth. That’s why
legumes,
peas, beans, and other
plants are referred to as ‘nitrogen
plants like these, live nitrogen-fixing
fixers’.
bacteria. Without this bacteria living
When the heap of
in the roots, the plants would not be
ingredients is altogether and
able to take nitrogen gas from the
adequately moist, the bacteria get
atmosphere and synthesize it into
to work. It does not take long for
biomolecules such as amino acids
this process to start; you can tell
and proteins.
by the heat produced in the
compost.
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Solution
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Composting is the process that hastens the decomposition of organic
matter into soil. Building a compost heap is sort of like baking a cake. You must
mix ingredients together in the right proportions and give it the time to cook.
The things most commonly recommended to put into your compost are leaf
litter and weeds, grass clippings, poultry, manure, herbivorous animal manure,
kitchen scraps, and peels, straw, animal bedding, shredded paper, seaweed, and of
course, water. A few things that are not recommended are pig and carnivore
manure, citrus peels, oils and fats, runner type weeds, persistent bulb type weeds,
shiny paper, and diseased plant materials. If the materials are large, try to chop
them up into smaller sized pieces. This will help the compost break down quicker.
The ideal compost pile is made up of a ratio of 25 parts carbon material to
1 part nitrogen material. Carbon materials are things like dry weeds and leaves,
straw, and paper … Coarse, bulky stuff. They do contain small amounts of
nitrogen, but not enough to stimulate the process. Nitrogen rich matter is stuff like
poultry manure, green grass clippings, and leaves.
Precision is not necessary when it comes to composting, so don’t stress it.
You can correct any imbalances throughout the process.
You begin your heap with a layer of coarse material directly on the ground
whether your compost is in some sort of structure or not. This could be something
like leftover cornstalks or small tree trimmings. It is just to create some air space.
You will sprinkle this with a thin layer of nitrogen rich material. You need to keep
building the heap in this way, layering a variety of carbon materials with a layer of
nitrogen rich matter. The composting heap needs to be at least 1 meter cubed.
Be sure to water it all thoroughly. It’s important to maintain a good balance
between air and water. If it’s too dry, it won’t work. If it is too wet, anaerobic
bacteria will take over the pile. It will, in result, become slimy and smelly, rather
then having a friable texture and an earthly smell.
When your compost smells like nature, resembles soil, and you cannot
recognize any of the original material, it is ready to use. The time this will take will
depend on the size of the material used, how often it is turned, how big the heap is
initially, and if it has the correct balance of air, moisture, organic matter,
temperature, and bacteria.
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http://images.hayneedle.com/mgen/di
gimarc.ms?img=master:SUN135.jpg
&h=400&w=400
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The products used during composting pretty much rely on
the composter. To start, if you choose you can have a composting
tumbler or bin. The bins are the most traditional and reliable
composters. Whether your composting is active or passive, the bin
will accommodate. They come in a variety of different shapes and
sizes from slatted mesh and wired pens to pointed models.
Composting tumblers are an efficient alternative to the bins. It was
constructed for ease-of-use as the number one feature. Requiring
only the slightest bit of effort, you just have to give the bin a few
turns a day. It is generally the most active composter for those who
do not have much time to devote towards their composting, but
whether you’re new to composting a seasoned pro, anyone can use
the tumbler.
The other products needed are of course the scraps of food,
leaves, weeds, grass clippings, shredded paper, or pretty much
almost anything you can think of. We will also need a place to put
everything. Once you have all those things, you should be good to
go.
https://www.storesonlinepro.com/files/1816
388/uploaded/Compost%20Tumbler%204.j
pg
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You can be amazed at how much something as little as
composting could benefit our world. Composting is a simple way
of keeping organic materials out of landfills which helps cut down
on climate-warming gases. It is nature’s way of recycling because
it returns the valuable organic matter and nutrients to the soil so it
can be used again. If you incorporate compost into soil, it will help
to increase the soil’s ability to retain moisture and reduce the need
for fertilizers. Composting increases infiltration and the
permeability of heavy soils which reduces erosion. It can also
retain 100% of its weight in water and is an important component
to gardening in a drought. Composting will help prevent pollutants
in the air. It reduces out trash and saves us money.
http://academics.sru.edu/MacoskeyCenter/D
emonstration/revised%20compost%20diagr
am.jpg
http://www.cas.muohio.edu/scienceforohio/Composting/images/benefit.gif
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http://www.natureworksllc.com/the-ingeo-journey/end-oflifeoptions/~/media/Our%20Values%20and%20Views/Endo
fLife_Options/composting/_compostingcriteria_png.ashx
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You will need a good
location for your compost
pile. It should be somewhere
warm and protected from
overexposure to wind and to
much direct sunlight
because overexposure will
dry the materials. You will
need shredded organic
material. You also need
nitrogen. It will accelerate
the process. Good sources
for this could be grass
clippings, manure, and
nitrogenous fertilizer. The
other key components
needed are air and water. Air
helps the decay process
while water does the same.
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http://www.eulesstx.gov/composting/images/HAPPENS.jpg
If your school composts,
the students learn to become
responsible consumers by
thinking about what happens to
the waste they create once it
disappears into a trash can. It
also provides an on-site tool for
learning about the community
and the environment. Students
will be able to play an active role
in improving the school’s vitality
and environment. Composting
encourages children to use their
senses and identify with natural
resources. However, pre-selected
students would have to monitor
the bins in the lunch room during
lunch hour. To many, that could
quickly become a chore. In order
to solve that dilemma, you can
make monitoring the bins a
privilege.
Some of the other
downfalls of composting at
school would be the change. We
would like to be able to switch
from Styrofoam to paper in the
cafeteria. The students will also
have to be willing to separate
their food instead of just throwing
it out. Other than that, things
shouldn’t be too complicated.
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http://www.villapark.org/2008-09Budget/budget_pie.gif
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Would it cost the school more to compost, or would we
make a profit? We have researched how much money can be
saved over a period of 15 years by composting instead of buying
fertilizer. We also attempted to find out how much money could be
saved by using the water released while composting to water the
trees and the grass during the summer, when the most water is
needed, instead of paying for the water.
According to our preliminary research and findings, we have
estimated that it would take almost four and a half years to make a
profit, if we used a $40 a pound, 1666.6 square yard bag of time
released fertilizer and taking in account the $525 it would take to
start the whole composting process, but we have found some
references to a grant, and it may be in affect. It could very well
reduce the time to one year, possibly two if the cost is lowered by
only a few hundred dollars.
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AMOUNT OF MONEY
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Series1
Series2
1
2
3
4
5
YEARS
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Series 1 – Cost of composting based off of the price for
a bin and bin lining without a grant.
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Series 2 – Fertilizer based off a thin layer being applied
to every field twice annually at $1/pound.
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We have been chatting with some of the staff about our
project and how we would like the school to start composting.
After enhancing their knowledge a little bit, we asked for the
opinions.
The first person we spoke with wasn’t so sure about it.
When we asked her what she thought, she began to tell us that
she had no authority to say. She said we needed to talk to the
superintendant or the principal. That’s when we explained to
her that we planned on talking to the principal, but we wanted
to have her judgment on the proposal prior to us doing that for
the simple fact we didn’t want to take it to the principal and
have him end up enforcing it when she wasn’t really for it
herself. After explicating that, she told us she was composting
stuff at her home and it stunk, therefore she wasn’t really sure
about the whole thing. Then we asked her what she thought
about switching from Styrofoam to paper and she said she
preferred the Styrofoam.
The second person we asked said he thought it was a
good idea. He said he would give us another bin to put in the
lunchroom and he would help us find a place to put the heap.
Other than that, he made his point by telling us that he was not
going to take on any more responsibilities from which he
already had. He told it was not going to be his job to keep up
on the compost and as long as he didn’t have to, then he was
all for it.
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If this school is willing to challenge change head on, then we need to
make a difference by composting.
There really isn’t much to it once you get started, and it will make a
difference in the students, staff, the environment, and America.
The cost might be one of the biggest issues, but if we get that grant
than it won’t be a problem at all and our school will be on its way to making a
profit.
Instead of spending a bunch of money on a tumbler or a bin, maybe
we can just buy the supplies needed and the shop kids could come together
and construct one. We are thinking it would be best to put it outside the
lunch room near-by the dumpsters that way we don’t have to carry the trash a
long way in order to put it in the heap.
Along with that, we would like to switch from Styrofoam to paper in
the lunchroom because paper is compostable, where as Styrofoam is not ...
And you know, once we start producing it, we could take special orders and
sell some. Or maybe, one of the businesses in town will let us sell some
there.
In order for the composting to take its course, you simply just have to
make a few modifications. By doing so, this generation and the many
generations to come will be benefitted.
http://stephenwhitt.wordpress.com/2008/
08/17/a-sense-of-wonder/
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki
/File:DeadTree.jpg
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