Bill Text: NY K00227 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim May 2-8, 2021, as Compost Awareness Week in the State of New York

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 20-6)

Status: (Passed) 2021-05-03 - adopted [K00227 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-K00227-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 227

BY: M. of A. Barrett

        MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
        May  2-8,  2021,  as  Compost  Awareness Week in the
        State of New York

  WHEREAS, It is the sense of this  Legislative  Body  to  memorialize
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim May 2-8, 2021, as Compost Awareness
Week  in  the  State  of New York, in conjunction with the observance of
International Compost Awareness Week; and

  WHEREAS, The Composting Council  Research  &  Education  Foundation,
along  with  Canada,  Australia,  the United Kingdom and other countries
have declared the first week of  May  to  be  the  annual  International
Compost Awareness Week; and

  WHEREAS,  Materials  such  as  yard  trimmings,  vegetable cuttings,
biosolids, food scraps, manures and hay shavings have all been composted
and converted into a beneficial product known as compost; and

  WHEREAS, A majority of wasted food in the United States is  disposed
of  in  landfills,  where  due  to improper treatment, it decomposes and
releases 15% of our nation's emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that
is one of the largest contributors towards climate change; and

  WHEREAS, Composting is an effective form of waste  reduction,  reuse
and recycling, and, since organic materials make up approximately 40% of
the  material  going  to  landfills  in the United States, composting is
becoming one of the primary  methods  communities  use  to  reach  waste
diversion goals; and

  WHEREAS,  Composting  is a way of returning organic resources to the
soil and is a way of conserving water during extreme drought or flooding
conditions, reducing water consumption and non-point  pollution,  and  a
proven  method  of decreasing the dependence on chemical fertilizers and
decreasing erosion; and

  WHEREAS,  Communities,  through  their  local  governments,  highway
departments, soil conservation service and extension offices, and public
works  professionals,  can have significant impact on clean water, soil,
climate change and landfill diversion by using compost for public  works
projects; and

  WHEREAS, Composting creates green jobs and infrastructure for cities
and states that implement composting programs; and

  WHEREAS,   Composting  is  an  effective  way  to  aid  the  Climate
Leadership and Community Protection Act that  was  signed  into  law  in
2019,  with  the  goal  to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by the
year 2030, and reach an 85% reduction in  greenhouse  gas  emissions  by
2050; and

  WHEREAS,  Compost  Awareness  Week  is  a  publicity  and  education
initiative to showcase compost production and demonstrate  compost  use;
and


  WHEREAS,  This  year's  theme  "Grow,  Eat...COMPOST...Repeat."  was
selected to encourage Poster Contest artists  throughout  the  world  to
create  a  design  sharing the importance of composting and compost use;
and

  WHEREAS, Soil plays an important role in  our  environment;  healthy
soil is at the heart of planetary, agricultural and human health; and

  WHEREAS,  By  composting,  we  return  nutrients  to  the soil, help
capture carbon from the atmosphere,  resist  drought  and  disease,  and
provide fresh air; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to  proclaim  May  2-  8  2021,  as
Compost Awareness Week in the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  copies  of  this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the  State  of
New York; and the Composting Council Research & Education Foundation.