World Soil Day
The People 4 Soil Campaign was launched on the 5th December at the Botanic Gardens in Dublin. It was an amazing event with a wonderful range of speakers. All lectures were filmed and will be made available. The first videos by Michael Ewing, Felicity Gaffney and myself can be seen when clicking on the following link: World Soil Day Lectures.
We need over 8,000 signatures in Ireland to convince the EU to provide a legal framework to protect our soils. Our soils are too vulnerable and are on the brink of large scale degradation and there is no protection offered.
Please sign the petition:
Click here to sign the petition
or go to the direct link:
We have to see soil as a resource that’s valuable, people take natural resources for granted. It takes up to a thousand years to form one inch of topsoil through weathering and natural degradation. In a million years we will have repair the damage we have caused so far. (…) So we have to treat soil more like Mother Earth and less like dirt.
Klaus Laitenberger spokesman People4Soil
From the Environmental Pillar:
“Over the coming weeks the Green News will be publishing the speeches from the People4Soil campaign launch.
Today we are bringing you the introduction by Michael Ewing of the Environmental Pillar and opening speech by author and horticulture expert Klaus Laitenberger.
The launch took place on World Soil Day in the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin on December 5, 2016. The event was attended to full capacity and a fascinating panel of speakers shared their knowledge on the topic of soil.
The diverse range of perspectives and experiences showcased at the event ranged from spirituality and wellness to organic gardeners and scientists. Michael Ewing the coordinator of the Environmental Pillar spoke about the urgent need for a European Directive to protect soils like those we already have for air and water. Klaus Laitenberger, organic vegetable grower and inspector with the Organic Trust, spoke about how we can’t take soil for granted. It needs to be looked after and protected. Klaus is the spokesman for People4Soil campaign in Ireland.”