P1 1WHEREAS, Materials, such as yard trimmings, vegetable
2cuttings, biosolids, food scraps, manures, and hay shavings, have
3all been composted and converted into a beneficial product known
4as compost; and
5WHEREAS, Compost is an important soil amendment and is
6critical to the state’s valuable agricultural industry; and
7WHEREAS, Returning organic resources to the soil decreases
8dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, decreases
9erosion, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and nonpoint source
10pollution, conserves water, and creates drought-resistant crops;
11and
12WHEREAS, Composting is an effective form of waste reduction,
13reuse, and recycling; and since compostable organic materials
14make up approximately 42 percent of the material going to
15landfills, composting is becoming one of the primary methods
16used by communities to reach waste diversion goals; and
17WHEREAS, Anaerobic digestion is a form of organics
18management that prepares materials for composting, while
19
capturing methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and uses it to generate
20electricity and heat or processes it into a ultra-low carbon
21transportation fuel; and
22WHEREAS, Composting California’s food waste could cut
23landfill methane emissions by up to 3 million tons of carbon
24dioxide per year, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an
P2 1additional 3.3 million tons, through the use of finished compost
2in agriculture; and
3WHEREAS, Communities, through their local governments,
4highway departments, soil conservation services and extension
5offices, and public works professionals, can have significant impact
6on clean water, soil, climate change, and landfill diversion by using
7compost for public works projects; and
8WHEREAS, Composting creates green jobs and infrastructure
9for cities and states that implement composting programs; and
10WHEREAS, The
Department of Resources Recycling and
11Recovery has estimated that recovering a significant portion of
12our organic waste stream could create 14,000 new jobs in the state
13by 2020; and
14WHEREAS, the composting councils of the United States,
15Canada, and the United Kingdom have all declared the first full
16week of May as the annual International Compost Awareness
17Week; now, therefore, be it
18Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
19week of May 5 to 11, 2014, is hereby designated as Compost
20Awareness Week; and be it further
21Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
22of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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