...engaging with the organic myths of pseudo-environmentalists and their historically impoverished views of agriculture.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has posted state-by-state results of their Natural Resources Inventory (NRI). The report depicts wetland gains and losses, soil erosion, farmland loss for the 48 contiguous United States through 2003. These numbers look pretty encouraging. It will be interesting to see if they continue this way in 2004.

Soil scientist takes issue with a beautifully written journalistic essay on soil and soil erosion. He points to two scientific discoveries, terra preta and glomalin, relevant to regenerating damaged soils in the Third World.

Renewed soil science licensing efforts are underway in Washington State. Supporting them is a new website. Titled Soil Science Licensing, the site is available to become a clearinghouse for all soil science licensing efforts. It links to the best available information, including the list of soil science licensing boards maintained by the Soil WikiProject.

Soil erosion is one of the most serious environmental and public health problems facing human society. Humans obtain more than 99.7% of their food (calories) from the land and less than 0.3% from the oceans and other aquatic ecosystems. Each year about 10 million ha of cropland are lost due to soil erosion, thus reducing the cropland available for food production. The loss of cropland is a serious problem because the World Health Organization reports that more than 3.7 billion people are malnourished in the world. Overall soil is being lost from land areas 10 to 40 times faster than the rate of soil renewal imperiling future human food security and environmental quality.

Around the world, soil is being swept and washed away 10 to 40 times faster than it is being replenished, destroying cropland the size of Indiana every year, reports a new Cornell University study."Soil erosion is second only to population growth as the biggest environmental problem the world faces," said David Pimentel, professor of ecology at Cornell. "Yet, the problem, which is growing ever more critical, is being ignored because who gets excited about dirt?"