Tell your governor: Commit to compost

Instead of being returned to the earth where it can help things grow, our organic waste is piling up in trash dumps and fueling climate change -- 50 million tons of it in the U.S. alone each year.

With just a little more effort, we can turn food scraps and lawn trimmings into valuable compost -- "black gold" as it's known by gardeners -- that could allow us to stop using polluting chemical fertilizers, replenish agricultural soil, and even protect our climate.

Ask your governor to set a goal of composting 100 percent of all organic waste in your state today.

Subject: Shrink landfills and fight climate change: Improve composting in our state