>>> IN A CITY WHERE ONE-THIRD OF
ALL GARBAGE IS COMPOSTABLE, MOST
TRASH ENDS UP IN LANDFILLS WHERE
IT RELEASES METHANE AND
CONTRIBUTES TO GLOBAL WARMING.
HOW OUR NEXT GUEST MADE IT HIS
PERSONAL MISSION TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THAT.
DOMINGO MORALES GREW UP IN NEW
YORK CITY.
ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE, MORALES
STARTED COMPOST POWER.
AN ORGANIZATION THAT MAINTAINS A
GROWING NUMBER OF PUBLIC HOUSING
COMPOSTING SITES ACROSS THE
CITY.
HERE'S DOMINGO EXPLAINING WHAT
HE'S TRYING TO DO.
>> I WANT TO BUILD A COMPOST
SITE AND HELP THAT COMMUNITY
STAND ON THEIR FEET SO THEY CAN
TAKE OVER IT AND I CAN WALK AWAY
AND HELP BUILD MORE COMPOST
SITE.
THAT'S WHAT COMPOST POWER IS,
GIVING THE POWER TO THE PEOPLE.
NOT ONLY AM I REDUCING THE WASTE
THAT GO LANDFILL, BUT I'M
CREATING A RESOURCE.
I WANT TO HIT THE AREAS THAT
SANITATION, DSFY SORT OF MISSED.
THOSE SPOTS IN NEW YORK CITY
THAT REALLY WANTED TO COMPOST,
BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE A FOOD
SCRAP DROPOFF NEARBY.
>> JOININGS NOW AS PART OF OUR
ONGOING PERIL AND PROMISE
INITIATIVE, REPORTING ON THE
HUMAN STORY OF CLIMATE CHANGE
AND ITS SOLUTIONS IS DOMINGO
MORALES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> LET'S START WITH THE OBVIOUS
FIRST QUESTION.
EXPLAIN TO US, IF YOU WILL, WHAT
IS COMPOSTING?
>> SO, COMPOSTING IS BASICALLY
THE HUMAN MANAGED PROCESS OF
RECYCLING ORGANIC MATTER AND
TURNING IT INTO SOMETHING WE CAN
USE AS FERTILIZER TO GROW MORE
FOOD, TO CULTIVATE TREE PITS,
GROW PLANTS, SHRUBS THROUGHOUT
NEW YORK CITY.
>> SO, GIVE US A SENSE, IF YOU
WERE GOING TO ENGAGE IN SOME
COMPOSTING TODAY, EXACTLY WHAT
WOULD YOU BE WORKING WITH?
AND WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING WITH
IT?
>> YEAH, SO IF WE'RE COMPOSTING
TODAY, WHAT WE'LL BE WORKING
WITH IS RESIDENTIAL FOOD SCRAPS,
SO THINGS IN PEOPLE'S HOMES THAT
THEY CAN'T EAT, SUCH AS APPLE
CORES, BANANA PEELS, ANYTHING
THAT YOU CAN'T REALLY EAT, WE
CAN'T USE.
GREEN WASTE THAT COMES OFF
FARMS.
AND COMPOSTING IS WHEN WE TAKE
THAT NITROGEN RICH MATERIAL AND
BLEND IT WITH LEAVES, WOODCHIPS,
WOOD SHAVINGS, AND THAT CARBON
AND NITROGEN PUT TOGETHER STARTS
A CHEMICAL REACTION, A
BIOLOGICAL ORGANISMS -- I LIKE
TO CALL THEM THE FBI, FUNGUS,
BACTERIA AND INSECTS RECYCLE
THAT MATERIAL AND TURN IT BACK
INTO SOMETHING NEW PLANTS CAN
USE AS NEWT RECENTS AND ORGANIC
MATTER.
>> I'LL ASK IN A MINUTE ABOUT
WHERE ALL THIS IS BEING DONE,
BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR
INVOLVEMENT IN THIS.
YOU'RE STILL A YOUNG MAN,
CERTAINLY, BUT YOU BECAME
PASSIONATE ABOUT THESE ISSUES
AND WORKING ON THIS.
I ALSO READ WHEN YOU WERE INDEED
A YOUNG MAN, YOU DID NOT LIKE
GERMS.
YOU DIDN'T LIKE DIRT.
WHICH MAKES IT AN INTERESTING
QUESTION, THEN, HOW DID YOU
BECOME THE CHAMPION OF
COMPOSTING IN NEW YORK CITY?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, I HATED THE
THOUGHT OF GERMS.
I REALLY DIDN'T LIKE THE PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE OF HOW
DIRTY IT CAN BE IN NEW YORK
CITY.
MY FAMILY MEMBERS WOULD DRINK
FROM MY CUP AND I WOULDN'T BE
ABLE TO DRINK THAT ANYMORE.
SO I'VE ALWAYS HAD A FEAR OF
GERMS.
AND I HATED FARMING.
WHEN I STARTED IN AN AMERICA
CORPS PROGRAM THEY SORT OF JUST
THREW ME UNDER THE TABLE.
THEY WERE JUST LIKE, HERE YOU
GO.
YOU'RE GOING TO FARM IN A PUBLIC
HOUSING COMMUNITY.
YOU'RE GOING TO WORK WITH FOOD
SCRAPS.
I WAS WORKING WITH ROTTING FOOD.
AND IT REALLY -- IT WAS HARD FOR
ME TO GET USED TO WORKING IN
THESE CONDITIONS, BUT WORKING
WITH MY MENTOR AT THE TIME,
DAVID BUCKLE, WE ACTUALLY SHOWED
ME THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GOOD
GERMS, YOU KNOW, THE FUNGUS INTO
THE BACTERIA THAT ARE ESPECIALLY
FOR CREATING LIFE, AND
SUPPRESSING THOSE DISEASES I WAS
AFRAID OF.
SO REALLY IT WAS THE EDUCATION
AND, YOU KNOW, THE HANDS ON
TRAINING THAT GOT ME AWAY FROM
THAT, UGH, I'M AFRAID OF GERMS.
AND NOW I LOVE GERMS.
SO IT TOOK A LIFE OF ITS OWN,
AND NOW I'M TEACHING PEOPLE THE
IMPORTANCE OF COMPOSTING AND
WORKING WITH THESE GERMS.
>> YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN HEAR THE
NOTION OF HOW ENGAGED A CONVERT
CAN BE IN VARIOUS AREAS, AND
CLEAR I THINK YOU FIT THAT
DEFINITION -- SOMEBODY WHO SAID,
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, TO, WOW, I
WANT TO DO THIS AND I WANT TO
HELP OTHER PEOPLE DO THIS.
YOU MENTION TEACHING.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE EDUCATION
COMPONENT OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING
HERE AND WHAT COMPOST POWER IS
DOING?
>> OH, IT'S IMPORTANT.
WHENEVER I TALK ABOUT COMPOSTING
IN NEW YORK CITY, THERE'S A LOT
OF SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN PLACE
THAT ARE CENTRALIZED.
AND WE HAVE, LIKE THE BROWN BIN
PROGRAM WHERE YOU PUT YOUR
SCRAPS IN THE BIN AND IT GOES
AWAY.
THE DIFFERENCE FROM THAT AND
WHAT WE DO IS WE'RE GIVING
PEOPLE THE HANDS ON TRAINING,
RIGHT?
YOU'RE GIVING ME YOUR FOOD
SCRAPS, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF
WORK.
IT TAKES PEOPLE SHOVELING, PITCH
FORKING, CHOPPING FOOD SCRAPS,
BLENDING IT.
IT TAKES MONTHS FOR THIS STUFF
TO ACTUALLY TURN INTO A FINAL
PRODUCT THAT WE CAN USE TOBY
REBUILD OUR LAND.
BUT THROUGH THAT PROCESS WE'RE
ABLE TO CHANGE PEOPLE'S
BEHAVIOR.
THEY SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE IT
TAKES.
WE CAN'T CHANGE THE BEHAVIOR OF
AVERAGE RESIDENT WITHOUT GIVING
THEM THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO
COMPOST BE THE EDUCATION
NECESSARY TO DO IT.
ONCE WE HAVE TO INFRASTRUCTURE
AND THE EDUCATION, THE HANDS ON
TRAINING, THEN AND ONLY THEN CAN
AN AVERAGE RESIDENT START TO
CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR IN THEIR
INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLDS.
>> AN EDUCATION CAN HAVE A
NUMBER OF COMPONENTS TO IT.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO SOMEBODY WHO
SEEMS TO BE INTERESTED IN THIS?
AND YOU EXPLAIN THE PROCESS YOU
EXPLAIN IT TO US AND THEY SAY TO
YOU, OKAY, I UNDERSTAND THIS,
BUT WHAT'S A BIG PICTURE?
WHAT'S THE BENEFIT HERE FOR US
OTHER THAN SORT OF GETTING RID
OF THIS, MOVING IT FROM ONE
PLACE TO THE OTHER?
HOW CAN IT BE HELPFUL TO US?
>>, SO ONE THING IS IF EVERYBODY
WAS COMPOSTING THEIR ORGANIC
WASTE IN A LOCAL FACILITY IN
THEIR HOUSEHOLD, HOWEVER THEY
WANT TO COMPOST, AND WE CAN
REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TRUCKS THAT
ARE TRUCKING WASTE THROUGH OUR
CITY, WE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT
OF ORGANIC WASTE THAT GOES TO
LANDFILL.
WHEN ORGANIC WASTE GOES TO
LANDFILL IT GENERATES METHANE,
WHICH CAN BE 80 TIMES MORE
POTENT THAN REGULAR CO2.
IF EVERYBODY COMPOSTED WE COULD
SLOW THE RATE OF CLIMATE CHANGE
BY 30%, AND THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT PEOPLE REALLY DON'T REALIZE
IS IT REGENERATES OUR SOIL,
ALLOWING US TO GROW FOOD IN SOIL
THAT MIGHT BE CONTAMINATED WITH
LED, ARSENIC.
WE CAN BUILD RAISED BEDS, GROW
FOOD IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
SOIL.
WE'RE DIVERTING WASTE AND
REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF
GREENHOUSE GASES THAT WE'RE
PRODUCING WITH OUR WASTE, AND
THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE'RE
FEEDING PEOPLE.
LE.
>> ALL GOOD BENEFITS HERE.
>> YES.
>> TELL US WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN
TERM OF SETTING UP AND HOW
YOU'VE SET UP VARIOUS COMPOSTING
SITES AROUND THE CITY.
>> THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE
SITES I HAVE IS I'M PARTNERED
WITH GREEN CITY FOREST, WHICH IS
THE PROGRAM THAT THREW ME INTO
FARMING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THEY'RE GROWING FOOD IN PUBLIC
HOUSING COMMUNITIES ON PUBLIC
HOUSING LAND, AND THEY'RE GIVING
THAT FOOD AWAY TO RESIDENTS FOR
FREE.
SO WHAT I WAS ABLE TO DO IS I
WAS ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT FARM,
BUILD A COMPOST COMPONENT, WHERE
WE'RE TAKING THE ORGANIC WASTE
COMING FROM THE FARM, ALLEGATION
TAKING FOOD SCRAPS FROM
RESIDENTS THAT COME ONCE A WEEK
TO PICK UP FRESH VEGGIES THAT
THEY CAN EAT.
WE CREATE A BARTER SYSTEM.
COME AND GET YOUR FOOD FROM THE
FARMER'S MARKET AND GIVE US YOUR
FOOD SCRAPS.
WE BUILD A THREE BIN SYSTEM, A
WOODEN STRUCTURE WITH THREE
DIFFERENT BINS THAT HAVE
DIFFERENT STAGES OF COMPOST.
YOU HAVE THE FIRST STAGE WHERE
IT'S JUST FOOD SCRAPS, MIXTURE
OF CARBON RICH MATERIAL.
SECOND STAGE IS THERMO FILLIC.
GETS UP TO 60 DEGREES CELSIUS.
THEN YOU HAVE THE MATURE STAGE
WHERE YOU'LL SEE EARTHWORMS,
PILL BUGS, BIODIVERSITY, AND
THAT'S THE MATERIAL WE USE TO
APPLY COMPOST TO THE CAMPUSES WE
OPERATE.
WE HAVE FIVE SITE ON PUBLIC
HOUSING LAND AND ONE ON PRIVATE
SITE, AND THAT'S OUR PRIVATE
SITE WHERE WE USE TO BRING LARGE
GROUPS OF YOUNG ADULTS TO GIVE
THEM THE TRAINING THEY NEED
MANAGE THE SMALLER SCALE SITES
THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
>> DO YOU ENVISION THIS AS MUCH
MORE OF A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT?
OR DO YOU SEE THIS EVENTUALLY
BEING SOMETHING THAT GOVERNMENT
TAKES OVER OR SOME COMBINATION
OF THE TWO?
HOW DO YOU SEE IT?
>> WELL, RIGHT NOW IT'S A
GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT.
EVERY TIME NEW YORK CITY FACES
FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, THEIR
SUSTAINABILITY TAKES A HIT, AND
POLITICIANS PUT IT ON THE BACK
BURNER UNTIL THEY CAN FIND THE
MONEY TO DO THOSE PROGRAMS.
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE
GRANTS, UTILIZE FUNDRAISING,
UTILIZE THE POOL FROM THE
RESIDENTS, FROM THE
NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO KEEP IT CONSISTENT.
SO SINCE COMPOST PILE STARTED
WORKING WITH GREEN CITY FOREST
IN LATE 2020, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO KEEP THESE FOOD SCRAP
DROPOFFS CONSISTENT.
WE HAVEN'T SHUT DOWN ANY OF OUR
PROGRAMS.
SO, THE IDEA IS WE KEEP IT
GRASSROOTS, BUT IN ORDER FOR
THIS TO WORK, WE HAVE TO WORK
WITH LARGE-SCALE COMPOSTERS,
WITH THE NEW YORK CITY PROJECT,
WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
SANITATION.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE THAT
CENTRALIZED SYSTEM THAT
SANITATION HAS, THE
DECENTRALIZED SYSTEM THAT
NONPROFIT HAS TO GET TO THE ZERO
WASTE GOAL.
IT'S GOING STAY GRASSROOTS BUT
WE'LL DEFINITELY TAKE SOME CITY
FUNDING IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT
TO GIVE US.
>> QUICK QUESTION.
GOT ABOUT A MINUTE.
SOMEBODY'S WATCHING THIS AND
SAYS, THIS SOUNDS REALLY GOOD,
REALLY IMPORTANT.
I WONDER HOW I CAN GET INVOLVED.
WHAT'S THE ANSWER?
>> THERE'S MANY PROGRAMS YOU CAN
GET INVOLVED WITH IF YOU GO
ONLINE AND LOOK UP NEW YORK CITY
COMPOSTING YOU'LL GET A LOT OF
OUTLETS.
FOOD SCRAP DROPOFFS IS A KEYWORD
IF YOU WANT A PLACE YOU CAN
BRING YOUR FOOD SCRAPS AND YOU
KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE IT TO
A COMPOST FACILITY.
YOU CAN VISIT THE COMPOST POWER
COMPOST SITES THAT'S ON OUR
WEBSITE, SO COMPOST POWERYNC.ORG
HAS A LIST OF SITES WE DO HAVE,
AND YOU CAN VISIT THEM.
AND JUST REACH OUT TO THESE
DIFFERENT PARTNERS THROUGHOUT
THE CITY.
SEND A MESSAGE THROUGH
INSTAGRAM, THROUGH EMAIL.
LET US KNOW YOU WANT TO GET
INVOLVED.
ANOTHER WAY IS JUST SEPARATING
YOUR WASTE AT HOME.
THAT'S THE FIRST STEP TO
CREATING THAT BEHAVIOR.
>> THAT FIRST STEP.
AGAIN, THE FOUNDER OF COMPOST
POWER.
GOOD WORK.
WELL DONE.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US.
YOU TAKE CARE.
GOOD LUCK MOVING FORWARD.
>> ALL RIGHT, YOU AS WELL.
THANK YOU.
>> BE WELL.
