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    Brown Leaf Abstract

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    Aditi Deodhar
    Brown Leaf is a community initiative started in 2016 in Pune, India to address the problem of burning dry leaves. [1] It connects people who have dry leaves with those wanting leaves to use as mulch or compost. [2] Over 100,000 bags of leaves are now diverted from burning to returning nutrients to the soil each year. [3] Burning leaves is banned in many places as it causes air and health problems, while mulching or composting returns nutrients to the soil and benefits the environment.

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    Brown Leaf Abstract

    Uploaded by

    Aditi Deodhar
    49 views5 pages
    Brown Leaf is a community initiative started in 2016 in Pune, India to address the problem of burning dry leaves. [1] It connects people who have dry leaves with those wanting leaves to use as mulch or compost. [2] Over 100,000 bags of leaves are now diverted from burning to returning nutrients to the soil each year. [3] Burning leaves is banned in many places as it causes air and health problems, while mulching or composting returns nutrients to the soil and benefits the environment.

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    Brown Leaf is a community initiative started in 2016 in Pune, India to address the problem of burning dry leaves. [1] It connects people who have dry leaves with those wanting leaves to use as mulch or compost. [2] Over 100,000 bags of leaves are now diverted from burning to returning nutrients to the soil each year. [3] Burning leaves is banned in many places as it causes air and health problems, while mulching or composting returns nutrients to the soil and benefits the environment.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    49 views5 pages

    Brown Leaf Abstract

    Uploaded by

    Aditi Deodhar
    Brown Leaf is a community initiative started in 2016 in Pune, India to address the problem of burning dry leaves. [1] It connects people who have dry leaves with those wanting leaves to use as mulch or compost. [2] Over 100,000 bags of leaves are now diverted from burning to returning nutrients to the soil each year. [3] Burning leaves is banned in many places as it causes air and health problems, while mulching or composting returns nutrients to the soil and benefits the environment.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 5

    BROWN LEAF

    “Not a single dry leaf should be burnt in India”

    ______Aditi Deodhar______

    Email
    [email protected]

    Website
    www.brownleaf.org

    Facebook
    www.facebook.com/BrownLeafPune/
    About Brown Leaf
    Brown Leaf began in February 2016 as a connecting forum to bring together the ‘people who
    have dry leaves’ and ‘the people who want dry leaves’.

    Members are determined to feed each and every leaf to the soil. All these leaves, lacs of bags
    of it, which would have gone up in the smoke, now return to the soil, nourishing it, protecting
    it.

    Every year this number keeps increasing.

    The concept of Brown Leaf is replicated in other cities as well.

    It is a collaborative community where everybody is determined to bring this vision to reality,

    Vision: “Not a single dry leaf should be burnt in India”

    Why Brown Leaf?


    Around November to March is the
    time when deciduous trees shed
    leaves. A large quantity of leaf
    litter is generated. Trees lose
    water through the leaves by the
    process of evapotranspiration.
    Leaf fall is the adaptation by trees

    to conserve water during summer months.

    Ground remains covered with these fallen leaves. They


    form a layer over the soil, protecting it from harsh sun
    during summer. Due to this, soil retains moisture. Various
    insects find shelter under these leaves.

    Some proportion of the nutrients that a tree absorbs is


    present in the fallen leaves. In the monsoon, leaves
    decompose, and nutrients are returned to the soil, thus
    completing the cycle.
    In urban setup, this natural, essential
    process has turned into a nightmare.

    In cities, majority of the soils are capped


    with buildings, roads, pavements etc.
    Even when open soil is available, heaps
    of leaf litter do not fit into our idea of
    aesthetics. There is just no scope for
    natural decomposition of leaf litter.

    Burning seems a convenient way to get


    rid of the leaf litter.

    Burning of dry leaves is banned in many


    countries. It leads to air pollution. It is a
    major health as well as fire hazard. The
    smoke contains several toxic particles
    and gases.

    Burning of dry leaves generates a large quantity of particulates that can reach deep in lung
    tissue and cause
    • Coughing
    • Wheezing
    • Chest pain
    • Shortness of breath
    • Long-term respiratory problems

    For the people who suffer from asthma or other breathing disorder, leaf burning is
    extremely hazardous.
    Complete burning results in production of Carbon dioxide, while Carbon monoxide is released
    from incomplete burning, such as with smouldering leaf piles. Carbon monoxide is absorbed
    in blood where it reduces oxygen-carrying capacity of the Red Blood Cells (RBCs). It also is
    one of the greenhouse gases.

    Fallen leaves contain 50-80% of the nutrients that trees extract from the soil during a
    growing season. When we burn dry leaves, we not only create pollution but also destroy the
    valuable nutrients that should go back to the soil.
    How exactly Brown Leaf works?
    At Brown Leaf, we advise these 3 options for management of dry leaves. Options are
    mentioned in the order of their priority.

    • MULCH
    • COMPOST
    • DONATE
    We advise people to practice mulching and composting. If composting is not possible for some
    reason, or there is surplus quantity of dry leaves, then there is the option of donation. Person
    who has dry leaves donates them to the person who wants them.
    MULCH

    In the forest, dry leaves fall to the ground


    during winter. Whole of summer, they
    remain on the ground, which reduces
    evaporation and helps retain soil moisture. In
    rainy season, these leaves decompose and
    returned to the soil, adding nutrients to it.

    COMPOST

    Fallen leaves contain some proportion of the


    nutrients that trees extract from the soil
    during a growing season. When these leaves
    are thrown away or burnt, those nutrients
    lost by the soil are never returned to it.

    DONATE
    As there are people who have dry leaves, there
    are people who want dry leaves. People who
    have gardens/ terrace gardens are always in
    need of dry leaves.

    Availability and Requirement exists in the same


    city. The need is to connect the two.

    We have a whatsapp group where both leaf-


    donors and leaf-takers are present. The person
    who has dry leaves, collects them in gunny
    bags and drops a message on the group providing quantity and address. The person who
    wants dry leaves and for whom the mentioned area is convenient, responds and arranges for
    the pick-up.

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