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Erosion is as big a problem as climate change, say experts

Posted at 4:29 PM on 22 Jan 2008

Planet Earth loses some 1 percent of its topsoil to erosion every year -- and that's an environmental threat on par with global warming, say experts. "Globally, it's pretty clear we're running out of dirt," says geologist David Montgomery, who identifies agriculture as the main culprit for "soil mining." In the U.S., cropland is estimated to be eroding at least 10 times faster than it's replaced. Farmers with an interest in sustainability are trying to persuade others to adopt "no-till" and organic farming methods to address the problem, but "it's hard to get people to pay much attention to this," says soil expert John Reganold. "Frankly, most of us take soil for granted."

source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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Comments: (4 comments)

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compostest with the mostest

this is why we need larger scale composting systems! make your own soil!

by cwistomoweina at 1:49 AM on 23 Jan 2008

Change Federal Policy

A major overhaul of the Farm Bill would make a major contribution to the slowing of soil erosion. I live in the Midwest where subsidies have been a direct cause of environmental degradation. Overproduction of corn and soy is a major problem where I live. Overproduction leads to the farming of areas that do not provide good soil. This soil erodes much quicker. This soil runs off and winds up in our surface waters. Our surface waters become polluted with sediment. It's a mess.

A change in the Farm Bill that will halt overproduction and promote organics would make a huge impact on this mess.

http://greenmadesimple.blogspot.com

by luannrudolph at 7:05 AM on 23 Jan 2008

Another Harm Caused By Agriculture

Agriculture, as opposed to living as hunter-gatherers, is very environmentally destructive, and this is just one more reason. Agriculture is based on DESTROYING native plants and ecosystems and replacing them with whatever we want to grow. Humans are the only species that lives like this. There's no chance of going back to hunting and gathering in any of our lifetimes, but that certainly should be our eventual goal.

by Wolverine at 7:03 PM on 23 Jan 2008

The good life

Dear Wolverine,
It appears that you have a very romantic notion about how a hunter-gatherer society lived. Life was short and brutal. Children most often died before 1 year of age. Hunter-gatherer spent their entire day looking for food and shelter. Agriculture made the development of permanent societies possible. The availability of a constant food source allowed for the specialization of a portion of the society which could devote themselves to non survival pursuits such as art, music, language, medicine etc. Humans adapt, that is one of our greatest strengths. Humans are not the only species that changes the local ecosystem for their benefit. The beaver for one dams up a stream to make a pond so that he may increase his chances of survival. The beaver has changed the ecosystem of that area and has destroyed the habitat of many plants and animals that used to live there.

Agriculture does not have to be environmentally destructive. Many of us who farm are improving the soils where we farm and adding to the top soil. We don't have erosion because we plant cover crops and use sustainable farming practices. Agriculture is not destructive careless farmers are destructive.

By the way there are still hunter-gatherer societies out there that one could join. I bet that the novelty would wear off in about a year and you would be back looking for your keyboard and think about how you could write a book about your experiences.
Best of luck with that.

Foraging for the good life in Ohio.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. -- Mahatma Gandhi

by sycamore at 9:10 PM on 25 Jan 2008

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