Worms [when used to compost garbage] are killing the planet, says top researcher

mrw.co.uk ^ | June 21, 2007 | Liz Gyekye

[grundle]

Worm composting could be doing more harm than good to the environment, a leading researcher claimed today.

Composting Association research director Jim Frederickson said: “Worms produce a significant amount of greenhouse gases. Recent research done by German scientists has found that worms produced a third of nitrous oxide gases when used for composting.”

The ‘wiggly ones’ naturally produce nitrous oxide gases when they are put into the process of composting.

Worms can be used for home grown composting or commercial composting and are typically red worms. They are used to recycle food scraps and other organic material into valuable soil worm compost, otherwise known as vermicompost. This compost can then be used to grow plants.

“We have concentrated on getting waste out of landfill and into worm composting systems but they can actually produce more greenhouse gases than landfill sites produce,” Frederickson said.

Under the Waste Strategy the Government has strongly supported the composting of waste in efforts to reduce the landfilling of biodegradable waste. This includes encouraging householders to invest in home composting systems.

The Government wishes to increase the amount of waste which is composted to 40% by 2010 and 45% by 2015.

Although Frederickson says that worm composting is a positive thing, he claims that not enough research has been done on worms releasing polluting gases.

Frederickson said: “Everybody loves them because they think they can do no harm but they contribute to global warming. People are looking into alternative waste treatments but we have to make sure that we are not jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

“We need to investigate all alternative systems for greenhouse potential.

“The emissions that come from these worms can actually be 290 times more potent than carbon dioxide and 20 times more potent than methane. In all environmental systems you get good points and bad points.”

[Disambiguator]

What next? Will the enviros tell us to stop drinking beer?

[Dumpster Baby]

[massgopguy]

Without worms the Earth would turn into a dustball.

[em2vn]

Damn, there goes the fish bait. We’ll have to kill off all of the worms to survive.
Next thing you know the comsumption of beans by humans will be outlawed. Illegal aliens exempted of course.

[TexasRepublic]

If the eco-commies don’t get you, the worms will.

[Always Independent]

I knew the problem was in congress!

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Recent research done by German scientists has found that worms produced a third of nitrous oxide gases when used for composting.

A third of what?

Since worms naturally spend their time "composting" even when not working on our compost piles, should we consider eliminating the earthworm to help fight global warming? I'm aware that some (hopefully a few) environmental extremists believe the earth would be better off without people to despoil it - does this extend to worms as well?

[MikeHu]

They’ll need to pass job retraining programs for worms dislocated by the composting ban.

[mamelukesabre]

...but at least it won’t be a warm dustball.

[Professional Engineer]

Awesome!

I compost, drive an SUV and jet all over the the USA.

My carbon footprint is bigger than yours. Heh heh heh

[hsalaw]

Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love. (Shakespeare? I can remember the quote, but not the author.)

[dalight]

These people are sick.

[Rennes Templar]

An SUV and jetting around are ok, but GET RID OF THE WORMS!! YOU TRYING TO KILL US ALL????

[wolfcreek]

“You can’t do anything right by these environmentalists, can you?”

Hell No!

Composting is a natural process that has been happening since the dawn of time. To suggest it’s somehow causing anything besides replenishing the nutritional content of soil, is ludicrous.

[Vigilanteman]

Worms produce a significant amount of greenhouse gases.

In grade school science, I think I learned:

1. Worms aid in decomposition.

2. Decomposition produces emissions which the global warmists now call greenhouse gases.

3. Said emissions produce gasses which plants love, including carbon dioxide.

4. Have you ever noticed that there's a lot more plant life in the equitorial regions than under those wonderful polar ice caps?
5. Have you ever noticed that your garden tomato plants produce more fruit in August when the earthworms are near the surface than in February when they are deep underground?

So if worms, which produce greenhuse gases, are good for the tomatos, then greenhouse gases can't be so bad either.

[keepitreal]

Worms aren’t just in the compost heap. They are in the dirt the grass grows in and in your garden. Let’s do the environmentally correct thing: pave over the entire world. No fertile soil, no earthworms. No more nature!! Nature is killing the planet.

[Argus]

Yet more evidence that “global warming” is a loonier cult than anything else.

[Pajamajan]

I thought cow farts caused global warming. Now it's worm farts?

We don't have to worry though. When enough mercury from all the enviro-bulbs, gets into the ground water, (because of them breaking/not being disposed of properly) the worms, cows, and the rest of us, are all toast.

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

Worms [when used to compost garbage] are killing the planet, says top researcher

Get a grip man!

Regards,
GtG

[Rio]

Although Frederickson says that worm composting is a positive thing, he claims that not enough research has been done on worms releasing polluting gases.

There it is.. He's angling for a nice fat government grant for worm fart research.