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Sat, 16 Sep 2006

Dirt, AKA Soil, Revisited: The Scoop on Dirt, By Tamsyn Jones

E/The Environmental Magazine published a long article on soil in it's Sept/Oct '06 issue - reprinted with permission on Savvy Veg. Writer Tamsyn Jones is a recent graduate of the University of Missouri at Columbia, and is now studying in Tanzania. Her article is thoroughly researched, heartfelt, and well written. In spite of it's length and breadth, it's an easy and engaging read. Here's a taste from The Scoop on Dirt:

"We've long taken soil for granted. It is ubiquitous but unseen; humble but essential; surprisingly strong yet profoundly fragile. It nurtures life and death in vibrant harmony; undergirds cities, forests and oceans; and feeds all terrestrial life on Earth. It is a substance few people understand and most take for granted. Yet, it is arguably one of Earth’s most critical natural resources -- and humans, quite literally, owe to it their very existence."

"Unfortunately, even as our awareness of soil health as a factor in the collapse of civilizations has increased with time, we've continued our poor stewardship of this essential resource."

"Even among the environmentally minded, soil sags well below the radar of important causes. But the relationship between soil quality and other aspects of environmental health is intricately entwined. What’s more, it’s a relationship that encompasses a vast swath of territory, from water pollution to degradation of terrestrial and aquatic habitats; from agricultural practices to global climate change; from the well being of oceans to the well being of people."

"Despite humankind’s long relationship with soil, the stuff remains a mystery. Even our language manages to malign the soil. Somehow, over the course of several centuries, “dirt” has acquired a bad reputation. And it’s been codified in some of our most common idioms, with people described as “dirty rotten scoundrels,” “poor as dirt,” “dirt bags” or “mean as dirt.” The modern word “dirt” itself descends from the less than complimentary Old English word “drit,” meaning “excrement.” Instead of marveling at the mystery of soil, we have mocked it, by dredging and paving; desiccating and polluting; and working it to the point of exhaustion."

I highly recommend reading Scoop On Dirt in it's entirety. It'll change your mind about dirt - uh, I mean, soil.