Composting confusion

I’m reading Real Simple at lunch and and glancing at their article on How Green Are You. There is a chart of greenie activities, one being “Compost A Fifth Of Your Garbage” which I do, maybe 1/2 of my garbage. But part of the reasoning, struck me as stupid:
“..Plus, composting food scraps, like apple cores, keeps them out of landfills, where they can break down to release a potent greenhouse gas.”
….so what is that apple core doing in my composter if not breaking down? And I’m sure it is off gassing something, particularly when I haven’t balanced it with the browns. Maybe I’m missing something. Does an apple core become dangerous in a landfill but not so in my backyard composter?
My other problem with the article is there is no mention of mercury in CFLs bulbs. You gotta be careful with them and dispose of them properly when the day comes when they burn out.
While I’m on the topic of compost and gardening. I did not realize how wonderful my soil is until I started hacking away in someone else’s yard. Over the years I’ve been living at my house, I have amended the soil, put down lots of compost and other organic matter and after the rains it is soft and rich. The other yard, a big mass of heavy wet clay.

More on the empty schools

From the Truxton Discussion Forum:

Please see this idea from Jim Berry:
Please consider . . . the idea of making JF Cook School a police substation, the site of office space for ANC 5C and, perhaps, other appropriate community uses, as well as the idea of encouraging an Arts emphasis for the future use of MM Washington, should it eventually close. I think it safe to assume that none of us wants the buildings that now house JF Cook School and MM Washington to go the way of the former John Mercer Langston Elementary School or the former Armstrong Adult Education Center buildings — essentially, abandoned by the city and languishing in our community as an attractive nuisance for drug dealers and users, homeless persons, and the like.

As for MM Washington… one possibility might be to turn it into a place for artists — an idea that was floated by the local government and one which we endorsed, I believe, in the late 1980’s/early 1990’s. At the time, O Street, N.W. and Hanover Place, N.W. were already budding hubs for this kind of activity. Perhaps we could revisit some of those ideas. Also, we could give artists special consideration to locate their businesses there and require them to hold classes for interested children and adults, in return for that consideration.

I love the idea of artists studios. There are artists studios already in the hood and the more the merrier. What I would love is something linking the artists areas in the TC so we have this spot over in southeast Truxton for art professionals and amateurs. Excellent idea Jim.

As far as the substation at Cook… Sure, as long as the building can share with offices.