September 2013 Newsletter: Join SOIL in Combatting Climate Change with Compost

Dear Friends,

September has been a month of sweltering days, cool rains, and non-stop activity at SOIL. We have been busy running mobile toilets at festivals, constructing our new office, holding workshops, and, as always, transforming poop into beautiful soil.

While we usually look at our work in the short term, we have been reflecting this month on how sustainable sanitation and soil rehabilitation will affect Haiti’s resiliance to natural disasters. Did you know that the application of compost is one of the most effective ways to combat climate change? Compost increases soil’s ability to hold carbon, helping to balance the huge carbon emissions from industry that contribute to climate change.

When the winds blow in and rain clouds form on the horizon, people in Haiti begin rushing home. Only a few market vendors stay open, hoping to sell their last vegetables before the storm. The city buses – Tap Taps – become filled to capacity as people hurry to meet up with their families or run one last errand. Cool breezes are often welcomed, but people know to worry about what might happen. Widespread deforestation and poor infrastructure has left Haiti extremely vulnerable to extreme weather events. Even small tropical storms have the potential to cause life-threating floods. And many Haitians expect the situation to get worse with global warming as rising ocean temperatures have the potential to increase the frequency and force of Caribbean hurricanes.

To face these anxieties head on, SOIL has begun to focus more and more on supporting the long-term reconstruction of Haiti’s fragile ecosystems and reducing the risk of future natural disasters. We need your help supporting this critical effort.

This month we have two requests for you. The first one is easy: SOIL was recently selected as a finalist in a Nature Conservancy / RARE contest recognizing promising efforts to help vulnerable communities reduce environmental risk and adapt to climate change. Now it is up to you to help us through this final step of the contest. There are ten finalists, two of whom will be voted winners by public support. This month we ask all of our friends and supporters to take a moment to make your own vote and encourage at least five friends to vote as well. With your support we can increase SOIL’s chances of winning the $20,000 prize and help raise awareness about the power of soil to reverse climate change.

Vote for SOIL! 

1. Click here: www.solutionsearch.org/vote

2. Scroll down to SOIL’s entry

3. Click “Submit Vote”

Our other request requires a bit more work, but it is fun. We ask all of you to start combatting climate change in your backyard by building your own compost pile. It doesn’t take much space, is a wonderful educational tool for your kids, and it is the most rewarding way to recycle the food scraps that you don’t eat. (Here are some resources to get you started.) We can all play a role in transforming waste into resources and combatting climate change at the same time.

With love from Haiti,
SOIL

September News:

Join us:

And most importantly….

Please don’t forget to Vote for SOIL!

 


No Replies to "September 2013 Newsletter: Join SOIL in Combatting Climate Change with Compost"


    Got something to say?

    Some html is OK