Dear Panditji,
Is there anyway to make basic compost without earthworms?
Karthik
Via Email
Dear
Karthikji,
I am so glad to see your interest in composting. You can
make compost without earthworms too. But if you want to become a composting expert you
need to keep some points in mind.
Composting is food for soil — a natural process in
which once-living material is broken down by microorganisms and returned to the soil. The
microbes need three things to make compost — air, water and food. Now, there are two
kinds of food that microbes love. These can be simply classified into browns and greens.
The browns include dry and dead plant material like straw, twigs, autumn leaves, wood
chips and sawdust, which are a rich source of carbon. The greens are vegetable peelings,
green leaves, flowers, coffee grounds and tea bags – all rich in nitrogen. To make
compost first choose a place where you will pile up the waste material (you can also use a
large drum). Then you must distribute the material in layers.
- Put the twigs and other ‘brown’ material at the
base.
- Then make a layer of ‘greens’
- Repeat this process but make sure that the top layer is
brown material. Sprinkle water over each layer.
- Remember to turn over the composting pile regularly to
help air circulation.
 How will you know when
it’s ready? It takes about six months to two years depending on the size of the
compost pile. When the process is finished the pile will resemble dark, rich soil with a
sweet, woody smell.
Dear Panditji,
Could you tell me what are the sources and effects of
radioactive pollution? Is there any way to manage it?
Priyanka Patel
Via Email
Dear
Priyankaji,
Radioactive pollution is a growing area of concern. There
are many ways through which radioactivity can be released into the environment. The main
sources are:
Nuclear
weapons: when nuclear weapons are tested a huge
amount of radioactivity is released.
Nuclear power plants: nuclear power is a source of clean energy but the problem of
disposing radioactive waste generated at nuclear power plants a huge one. Accidents at
nuclear power plants can also release high amounts of radioactivity. The biggest accident
of this kind was the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, which released between 100 and 200
million Curies of radiation.
Transportation: accidents and spillage during
transportation of nuclear waste may contaminate the surroundings.
Mining: Uranium (used in nuclear power plants) is harvested
from uranium ore. After it is extracted, the waste from the mining process (called uranium
tailings) may contain as much as 85 per cent of the radioactivity. If these tailings are
left on the surface, winds and rain can disperse it over large areas. Uranium tailings
also generate radon gas — another harmful by-product of uranium mining.
The effects of radioactivity on health were first noted
in New Jersey were radium was used to paint watch dials. The women who painted them used
to lick their brushes to make fine points. Many of these workers fell sick. The illness
was later discovered to be a form of bone cancer. Radioactive pollution also causes
genetic damage, which is cumulative and can last for generations.
Radioactive wastes decay over a long period of time.
Presently, they are stored in deep underground facilities called nuclear waste
repositories. |
