December 5th is World Soil Day, on this day we celebrate the eminent power of soil reinforced with compost. In 2002, the International Union of Soil Sciences declared December 5th as World Soil Day “to celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human wellbeing.” In 2013, when the resolution was introduced to the full United Nations General Assembly, it was passed unanimously.
Check out our newly printable and shareable infographic pages:
One Person’s Trash… | Composting Enhances Soils and Protects Watersheds
Composting Protects the Climate | Composting Creates Jobs | What Can You Do?
On this World Soil Day, we are pointing to the vast benefits that locally-based composting has in improving soil.
“The dust storms and floods of the last few years have underscored the importance to control soil erosion. I need not emphasize the seriousness of the problem and the desirability of our taking effective action, as a Nation and in the several States, to conserve the soil as our basic asset. The Nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt, Letter to all State Governors on a Uniform Soil Conservation Law, Feb. 26, 1937
With almost 30% of U.S. cropland eroding above soil tolerance levels – meaning the long-term ability of the soil to sustain plant growth is in jeopardy – these words ring as true today as they did in 1937. FDR was responding to the devastation wreaked by the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. Today, much of the western United States remains under severe drought conditions. In the East, we’ve had our share of droughts but extreme storms seem to be reigning lately. Enhancing the ability of soil to retain water, slow stormwater run-off, and resist erosion is vital to life on this planet as we know it.
Fortunately we have one fairly simple solution: amending soil with compost. Compost-amended soil enhances soil properties, stems soil erosion, and protects against soil desertification. In addition, compost converts wasted food and resources into a valuable asset.
In honor of World Soil Day, we are releasing our popular compost infographic as a series of individual printable and shareable images. Check out the original post here: Infographic: Compost Impacts More Than You Think.
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