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Notes from the President |
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July 20, 2009 Dearborn MI “DIRT! The Movie” … some random thoughts. To say that soil scientists are not very good at self promotion is one heck of an understatement. We work in a discipline that requires us to be part naturalist, part chemist, part engineer, part biologist, part geologist and part physicist but seem unable to catch the imagination of the general public. Heck, we are the opposite of inspiring. When writers of the USA Television Network’s popular show “Burn Notice” want to portray their star spy as the opposite of daring and exciting they have him tell clients he is a soil scientist. Against this backdrop, one can only be in awe of Bill Beneson and Gene Rosow for making a movie about soils. Should we be so overjoyed that someone has accepted the challenge of trying to make soils interesting to the general public that we overlook serious problems? I don’t know…. I do know that I spent many anxious minutes watching the film. Footage of mountaintops being blown away to expose coal seams, clouds of dust covering the sky during the dust bowl and large trees hitting the ground make for good theater … but they don’t tell the whole story. Many reclaimed mines are developing soils that are more productive than the original soil, improved soil management and conservation efforts have stabilized and healed many of our most erosive areas and international efforts have begun to provide opportunities to families living in the Amazon that don’t involve land clearing. The film’s ultimate message - that individuals can make a difference in how we treat our soils - was uplifting. I only wish it followed a presentation that included some of the valuable contributions soil scientists have made. I encourage you all to see this film … but be ready to respond to the many comments it is likely to provoke. |
