Leaf compost law: you can help curb climate change AND promote food gardens in underserved neighborhoods.

Currently the City’s fall leaf collection and compost giveback program is not specifically required by law. That means it is easier for the program to be suspended, as it was in 2002 and then again in 2008 – and it remains suspended. When in force, the program collected 20,000 tons of fall leaves each year and composted them. That cut greenhouse gas emissions by reducing a significant methane source in landfills and also the amount of energy used to cart City waste to landfills. In addition, the program promoted public health by distributing free compost that helped folks grow their own fresh produce – especially important in underserved neighborhoods.

There ought to be a law. So our volunteer attorney has drafted a bill for the City Council to pass. Attached is a memo that provides some more background material, and the bill itself. Please join groups like Added Value, BK Farmyards, Brooklyn Food Coalition, Build It Green!NYC, Earth Matter NY, East New York Farms!, Just Food, Lower East Side Ecology Center, North Brooklyn Compost Project, and Sustainable Flatbush in demonstrating support. Here are three steps you can take:

1) persuade groups you belong to that it’s important to show support for the proposed bill to require leaf composting, and have them email the group’s name to "Reply To This" at the bottom of this page, or to brooklynfoodjustice (at) gmail.com;
2) sign East New York Farms! petition in support of the leaf composting program at http://eastnewyorkfarms.vox.com/; and
3) phone your City Council member with the guidance of NYCLeaves: Project LeafDrop, http://nycleaves.org/advocacy/.

Please help curb climate change and promote food gardens in underserved neighborhoods.