Abstract for Government Project

San Diegans are extremely fortunate to have a city-wide recycling and trash pickup system. However, people who live in San Diego are missing an unfortunate third leg of the stool of effective waste management: a composting system. Unfortunately, in this city, the valuable food waste is being thrown in the landfill with other trash that takes significantly longer to decompose, such as non-recyclable plastics, cigarette butts, and other garbage. San Diegans must make a city-wide composting pick-up system that takes the food to a composting landfill. This system has been implemented in many places such as Ottawa, San Francisco, Seattle, and Germany with much success. The city will benefit by reducing emissions produced in a normal landfill as well as gain profit from selling the compost to local farmers. In this way, the nutrients will stay in a closed loop food system. San Diegans will need to arrange for the drivers, the trucks, land to put the compost on, cans for pick-up, and materials to educate the public. All these costs will add up; one estimate was that the cost would be similar to that of the trash pick-up system, approximately $54-65 million, but the cost will be worth it to make San Diego sustainable. Many people who oppose composting; if these people only knew that composting, done correctly, does not have an extremely bad vermin problem or even smell they would surely change their mind. Although this system could take time and thought to implement, the plan is still a prudent option. Composting is a benefit to all of the people it serves."The city of San Diego's Miramar Landfill is expected to reach capacity in 2012, unless it is expanded" (Fitzsimons, Elizabeth). However, about 25-50%% of trash is able to be composted and if this was to be removed from the trash that must be put in the landfills, then that problem will be greatly reduced (Schenk, Courtney). Keeping food waste out of landfills is a valuable goal for San Diegans. California has historically been a leader in all “green” causes; we consistently vote democratically and support environmental policies and laws. It is extremely disappointing to many San Diegan citizens to have their city fall behind in the race for sustainability. If San Diegans cannot be convinced to start a composting system for the pure, above stated, benefits, at least the citzens can feel the sense of competition among forward thinking cities in the United State as well as abroad. A composting system will be a huge benefit to all members of the city of San Diego and must, for San Diego's own sake, be implemented immediately.

Vocabulary Words Week 4

1. intrepid - adj. fearless, courageous. The intrepid explorer walked into the dark cave, not knowing what he might find at the other end.
2. trepidation - n. hesitation, fear, or anxiety. It was with trepidation that the girl walked in to the room of lions, carrying only a large bottle of water and a magic scarf.
3. despondent - adj. depressed, without hope. Working on college applications makes me despondent; I feel like I could be writing essays forever.
4. decorum - n. proper manners or behavior. I plan to have advisory made into a decorum class, where students would be taught essential skill such as napkin folding and the samba.
5. aspire - v. yearn, hope, or dream. I aspire to be a top notch archer.
6. vacillate - v. constantly wavering, unable to choose. The young adolescent vacillated between hating all of humanity and wanting to cuddle with his girlfriend.
7. desultory - adj. unplanned, disorganized, and without enthusiasm. When the fat, balding man began questioning me about my love life, I answered him desultorily, making up short stories than would make him stop talking to me.
8. fallacy - n. an untruth, a lie. Johnny told Marie a fallacy when he said he only had eyes for her...because really, he was sneaking around behind her back with other potatoes.
9. formidable - adj. scary, large, foreboding. The large castle was scary enough, but the alligators in the moat were extremely formidable.
10. heritage - n. legacy, inheritance, culture. My heritage is mixed; I am a mutt of all breeds.
11. guru - n. a leader in some way, often religious or spiritual. My guru says I need to eat only grapes and drink only canola oil for the next week in order to cleanse my aura.