Welcome back to Good News from Planet Earth!For this Spooky Season of Good News, we’re digging into the afterlife of one of Halloween’s most iconic symbols: the jack-o’-lantern. Carved into grinning faces, lit with flickering candles… and then left to slump, sag, and rot.At first glance, that post-Halloween pumpkin seems like nothing more than trash. But in reality, how we handle pumpkin rot can have a big impact on the planet. In landfills, rotting pumpkins produce methane, a greenhouse gas about 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in the short term.Here’s the good news: communities across the U.S. are turning pumpkin rot into climate heroes. Enter Pumpkin Smash events — parks, farms, and schools host gatherings where kids (and adults!) hurl old pumpkins into bins. Instead of releasing methane, the pumpkins are composted, breaking down into nutrient-rich soil that feeds worms, microbes, and future plants.From Illinois to Massachusetts, these programs have diverted thousands of tons of pumpkins from landfills. Some farms go even further, feeding leftover pumpkins to goats and pigs, turning Halloween leftovers into a seasonal feast.And you don’t have to wait for a community event: backyard composting, garden burial, or local farm drop-offs all give your jack-o’-lantern a good afterlife. Let it rot in a way that feeds life, not methane.So yes, your porch pumpkin may look like a creepy mess, but handled the right way, it nourishes soil, supports future harvests, and keeps a potent greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere. Sometimes the creepiest mess can be some of the planet’s best news.This has been another story from our Spooky Season of Good News. Share this with someone who still has a pumpkin on their steps — and help turn spooky rot into life-giving compost.Narrated by Todd Stark from Voiceover for the PlanetSupport the showGood News from Planet Earth is brought to you by Voiceover for the Planet, proud members of 1% for the Planet. Produced by Ally Murphy and Anne Cloud Sound Designed and Mixed by Brandon Perry at Sound Nectar Studios If you'd like a member of Voiceover for the Planet to narrate your project, email [email protected]

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