The Great Waste of Pumpkins
It's that time of year again when a large number of Americans go to their local supermarkets and purchase a large pumpkin only to use it as a decoration for only a few weeks. Granted, Jack-O-Lanterns made from pumpkins are the traditional decoration for Halloween. The problem is that growing pumpkins is huge waste of resources and harmful to the environment for only the sake of a short term decoration.
Consider these facts. Millions of pumpkins are sold each year as Halloween decorations. These pumpkins can last between 1-8 weeks. Most people do not eat the edible (inside) parts of the pumpkin. Most pumpkins, including the edible parts, end up buried deep in landfills where they will take decades or more to decompose before their nutrients slowly seep back into the soil, if at all.
Fortunately, there are several easy solutions to this problem. First, buy an artificial pumpkin or Jack-O-Lantern that can last several years, preferably one that uses an energy efficient LED light bulb. Second, if someone insists with buying a real pumpkin, then insist that they eat the edible parts too. Third, a rotting pumpkin can provide a lot of nutrients, so do not throw it away in the trash. Instead, bury pumpkins in your vegetable garden or under your lawn. Additionally, chopping it up with a shovel will allow the pumpkin to decompose faster too.
That's it! As you can see, it can be quite simple and easy to be environmentally friendly at the start of the holiday seasons, so enjoy knowing that you are doing your part for the planet.
by Phil B.