What happened once, can and will happen again

Those of you born after WWII might not remember a time in American history where the effects of soil erosion were actualy seen on a massive scale. The time period I am refering to was the dust bowl which lasted between 1930-1936. The phenomenon was a direct result of both drought coupled with decades of farming without crop rotation, fallow fields, cover crops or other techniques used to prevent soil erosion. The area most effected was the great plains region where virgin top soil had been too deeply plowed which killed the natural grasses that kept the soil in place and trapped moisture during droughts and high wind seasons.

This misuse of land and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people during the 1930's forced the government to act. The result was the Soil Conservation and Allotment Act of 1936. This act allowed the federal government to pay farmers to reduce production in order to conserve soil but at the same time accomplish minor goals. The act also gave directives to farmers on ways to conserve and rejuvenate soil.

Now a days, we are much more aware of soil conservation, but it still occures in other parts of the world. Strip mining and deforestation causes soil erosion on a massive level all over the world. We need to wake up and learn from the mistakes of the past, this is the only Earth we get, and when its gone....its gone.

If you want to help increase the awareness of soil erosion, participation and creation of more such blogs as these are crucial. Get involved in your local communities, and for those of you who live in farming communities, you have a larger responsibility.