On 12 January 2025, TCHS President Catherine Loke spoke at the “EZ Compost Just Like 1, 2, 3!” workshop organised by the Toa Payoh East Green Action Committee. She started the session with her talk “Biodiversity in a Bucket” where she enlightened the audience on the nine planetary boundaries, in particular the boundary for Biosphere Integrity, and the main causes of biodiversity loss. She explained The Tree of Life and how we all belong to one extended family. Using the concept of Natural Economics, she showed the participants how all living thing are mutually dependent on each other, why biodiversity matters and how urban dwellers can move towards living within planetary boundaries through the simple act of composting.
She then went through different methods of composting – cold composting, hot composting, vermicomposting, isopod composting and lasagna composting / sheet mulching – and the fundamental principles common to all.
Key moments in the video:
0:00:09 Introduction
0:01:05 Climate change
0:02:50 How reliant are we on fossil fuels?
0:04:02 Singapore’s Energy Profile
0:06:17 Fossil fuels enable cities to grow
0:10:13 Is climate change the biggest threat to humanity?
0:10:27 Oil is used to make 500,000 products
0:12:45 Mineral realities
0:15:44 Planetary boundaries
0:20:32 Biodiversity loss
0:24:28 Industrial agriculture
0:27:36 Chemical fertilizers
0:29:44 What is the environmental cost of chicken rice?
0:31:43 The Tree of Life
0:32:40 Natural economics
0:36:34 Rhizophagy
0:41:58 When Nature recycles, she renews
0:43:43 About The Circle for Human Sustainability
0:44:42 Healthy planet through permaculture
0:45:41 How permaculture helps us stay within planetary boundaries
0:49:20 Biodiversity in a bucket
0:51:50 Cold composting
0:58:10 Hot composting
1:01:26 Vermicomposting
1:02:58 Isopod composting
1:04:09 Lasagna composting
1:07:22 Q&A
Participants then got to try their hands at cold composting using donated cardboard and vegetable scraps, assisted by members of the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Environmental Rangers Club, in vessels sourced by Lee Yen-ling from the free cycling community. Catherine also brought with her some starter compost from the M.a.D. Garden @Winstedt to innoculate the participants’ compost, to spread the M.a.D.ness!
[M.a.D. = Make a Difference]
Many thanks to:
- Lim Wei Cheng and Rajendran Rajaram from the Toa Payoh East Green Action Committee;
- Ngee Ann Polytechnic Environmental Rangers Club – Zenn Tan Zhen, Yeoh Xin Nee Krister, Cheow Xin Yun Erin, Jolene Koh Yu Ching, Jungi Hoh, Qian Wen Oon, Eidil Shahyn, Tan Hui En Jasmine;
- Nicholas Chin and Tan Jing Xiang of wethefarm for sharing their composting knowhow;
- Lee Yen-ling for sourcing for vessels and video recording; and
- Marko Medjeral for video editing and music.
See more photos >> here