is. When my house
was being built, I
remember all the
topsoil being scraped
off the subdivision
and dumped in big
piles—which the
wind then went to
work on, causing
localized dust storms
so thick that at times
I could hardly see
across the road.
We lose millions,
perhaps billions, of tons of topsoil across the world each year that
winds up in our oceans. Good quality soil tends to extend downward
just inches rather than feet and that’s what sustains us; so it’s crucial
that we preserve what we have.
Threats to soil
1. Acidification - usually happens through intensive watering and
harvesting when certain nutrients and minerals are removed that alter
the acid/alkali balance, or by using too much nitrogen-rich fertilizer.
2. Soil contamination - often contaminated by industrial chemicals.
It can sometimes take many years for oils, etc. to wash out of soil to
the degree that plant life can grow again.
3. Desertification - this can sometimes be caused by drought, but
also by general abuse where too much is taken out of the land without anything being put back into it. The land becomes infertile.
4. Soil erosion - once plant cover is removed, such as in the case of
deforestation, the soil is no longer replenished with nutrients and is
easily blown away or carried by rainwater runoff.
5. Salinity - where saline ground water comes to the surface,
evaporates and leaves salts behind. This commonly occurs where deep
rooted trees are cleared.
We can all do our bit to conserve
our precious soil:
∙ Start a worm farm and return the castings to
the earth
∙ Start a compost pile
∙ Mulch. This not only saves water in your
garden but it protects the soil and adds to it
∙ Use natural fertilizers
∙ Plant more trees and deep-rooted vegetation
∙ If you’re moving soil from one area to
another, try to do it on a calm day or cover
up the pile
∙ Don’t pour hazardous waste and toxic
substances onto the ground (e.g., gas and oil)
While peak oil has been getting increased media
attention lately, a matter just as urgent is peak soil. While
a life without oil is a disturbing concept, life without
adequate fertile soil is downright frightening. MY
Maximum Yield USA | March 2012
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