Posts

By 2070, the Planet's soils are at risk of losing 40 percent of their biological crusts. Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)USFWS Mountain-Prairie Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

The world may lose biological crusts due to climate change

,
Biological crusts are crucial to the survival of the soil and its ecosystem. But climate change now threatens to wipe them out, a study from Geological Survey has warned
Soil health issue at the center of the #Soils4Nutrition photo contest, launched by FAO as part of the Global Symposium on Soils for Nutrition in July. Photo: CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution required CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution required

FAO is launching a photo contest dedicated to soil issues

,
Soil value is the focus of #Soils4Nutrition, the new photo contest launched by FAO. From war consequences to the micronutrient challenge, food security is increasingly in the spotlight. Submission closes on July 10
Microbes play a key role in providing soil fertility. Photo: JThomas Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0JThomas Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0

Microbes provide a solution as fertilizers get too expensive

,
War in Ukraine and commodity boom pushes fertilizer prices to record highs: profiting from microbes' properties is a cost-effective solution as investors jump in, writes the Wall Street Journal.
Wetlands store the most carbon per unit area. Photo: Kelly Fike/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region Public Domain Mark 1.0Kelly Fike/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region Public Domain Mark 1.0

Carbon sequestration should address the tough balance between climate and biodiversity

,
Carbon sequestration is an important tool for climate protection, EEA study says. But some practices to promote storage can reduce natural capital. The European agency ranked different terrestrial and marine habitats according to their storage capacity
FAO's Global Symposium on Soils for Nutrition will be held in virtual format between 26 and 29 July 2022.©FAO/Matteo Sala

At the end of July, a global meeting on the link between healthy soil and nutrition

,
From 26 to 29 July, hundreds of representatives from the political, agricultural, environmental, scientific and industrial world will participate in the Global Symposium on Soil for nutrition. Until the end of May, a call of abstracts to propose reports to be presented during the days of the event. Here the main themes
Pollution alert: There are 10 million potentially contaminated sites worldwide. Photo: Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

FAO launches its mission against global soil pollution

,
The UN organization presents the International Network on Soil Pollution, a project to tackle contamination and restore damaged lands. Fixing the problem - says FAO - is crucial to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
Ukraine is home to a quarter of the global černozëm, a hyper fertile soil that guarantees high yields. Photo: Jackie Riceman Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Jackie Riceman Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

War and climate change threaten Ukraine’s ‘magic’ soil

,
Standing behind Ukraine's legendary agricultural wealth is the černozëm, an exceptionally fertile soil covering two-thirds of the country's arable land. But war and climate change are undermining the crops
Urban forests grow faster and release less CO2 than their inland peers. Photo: Monika M. Wahi Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)Monika M. Wahi Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The paradox of urban forests: more polluted but even more useful for climate mitigation

,
Two Boston University studies show surprising results: forests grow faster in "dirty" areas on city borders. Where they store carbon more efficiently
The solution to the climate emergency lies in sustainable soil management. Photo: Pixabay License Free for commercial use Attribution not requiredPixabay License Free for commercial use Attribution not required

World Economic Forum sets out three soil strategies

,
We must treat soil as an asset class to mitigate climate change, says the Swiss organization. In addition, we need fair remuneration for farmers and transparency on the impact of products to encourage consumer choice.
The effects of a flood in Valkenburg in the Netherlands. In the last 40 years, extreme weather events in Europe have caused half a trillion euros damage. Photo: Romaine CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain DedicationPhoto: Romaine CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

In Europe extreme weather events resulted in €500 billion losses since 1980

,
Since 1980, extreme weather events have caused half a trillion euros losses and 145,000 deaths in Europe, EEA has found. Climate change remains the main threat. Today, the insurance coverage is still too low