Methane is Hurting our Environment

Introduction

Have you ever been told by your mom to “finish your vegetables” or “don’t waste your food”? Well, our moms are right. Wasting food is not only leaving stomachs empty, but slowly killing our environment. One of the largest contributors to global warming and climate change in the U.S. is greenhouse gas emissions, such as methane.

What is Methane?

When large amounts of food sit in landfills for long periods of time, the food has a hard time decomposing in its natural state. Because the food can’t compost, it produces methane gasses. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that highly affects climate change and contributes to global warming. This affects humans negatively because large amounts of methane can decrease the amount of oxygen in the air.

The Impacts of Methane

Food waste and methane have been continuously warming our planet for the past 200 years. More than ⅓ of the food in the US is never eaten, causing more and more food to sit in landfills and emitting more methane into the atmosphere, taking responsibility for a ¼ of the Earth’s global warming. More than 58% of methane emissions from landfills come from food waste, making food waste one of the largest causes of global warming.

Steps we can take in the right direction

We can take steps in the right direction by investing in compost bins in our homes so that we don’t put more and more food into landfills. We can also practice composting in public places by using the compost bins that Painted Bins has helped provide for us. Another strategy is buying only enough food for us to eat, so that we don’t waste any excess food we won’t eat. But if you do buy too much food, working with nonprofit organizations to donate that food to hungry families will not only leave a positive impact on those families, but also leave a positive impact on our environment.

Naomi Lewis and Eloise Atkins, 9th grade, Terra Linda High School, San Rafael, CA

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Resources:

“Americans Are Still Putting Way Too Much Food into Landfills - Marin Independent Journal.” Edition.pagesuite.com, edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=bef85951-2a99-499a-91ef-35041fb58e5b&appcode=MAR722&eguid=2820e996-08b9-4773-a851-0ee37dd3c5c2&pnum=24#. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.

“Home Composting.” CalRecycle Home Page, calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/homecompost/.