The NYC Compost Project, which began in 1993, provided compost for community farms, gardens, and street trees.
The budget cuts have forced most composting organizations to cease operations, with only three remaining open at reduced capacity.
More than 115 green jobs are threatened, and important community connections and green education efforts are at risk.
Key quote:
"[Volunteering with Nurture BK] made me for the first time experience a community I’ve been living in for 15 years. And Eric Adams has come by and destroyed all that for me."
— Justin Realmuto, Nurture BK volunteer
Why this matters:
The composting program, established to divert organic waste from landfills, has played a pivotal role in enriching urban soil, supporting local agriculture, and reducing the city’s carbon footprint. Community gardens and farms have particularly benefited from the nutrient-rich compost, which has fostered greener, more productive spaces in neighborhoods across the city.
Critics of the budget cuts argue that dismantling the composting program is a step backward in the fight against climate change and urban sustainability. They emphasize that the program's elimination undermines efforts to build a greener, more self-sufficient New York, highlighting the broader implications for community health and environmental justice.
The white rings that wrap around two massive lakes in the U.S. West are a stark reminder of how water levels are dropping and a warning that the 40 million people who rely on the Colorado River face a much drier future.
