As my practice seeks to repair and maintain lost connection that we have neglected over the past 400 years as a society, one of the lost connection I advocate for is CORE VALUES. I value my environment and seeing that ‘care’ includes repairing and maintaining our world. As Joan Tronto states: ‘That world includes our bodies, ourselves and our environment, all of which we seek to interweave in a complex, life sustaining web’. My practice has strong ties with soil and I therefore advocate for the cause of giving it better care. It also holds wonderful metaphors for the soul (ourselves).
Soil is one of earth’s major life systems under threat currently. In this post I hope to post any helpful facts relating the soil crisis.
Six key degradation processes can impact on soils: soil sealing, erosion, organic matter decline, compaction, salination and landslides. EPA research shows that the main soil quality pressures in Ireland appear to relate to surface sealing (urbanisation). Human activity is also a significant driver of degradation through poor (or inappropriate) land management practices. However, in Ireland, the overall area of artificial surfaces remains low compared with that in other EU Member States.
Soil contamination can occur as a result of unauthorised waste-related activities, historical activities, leakages and accidental spillages of chemicals. There is currently no specific contaminated land policy in Ireland and therefore no legislation in place to deal with it. However, the EPA is responsible for enforcing the remediation of contamination identified at EPA-licensed facilities.
(Source: https://www.epa.ie/our-services/monitoring–assessment/assessment/irelands-environment/land–soil/cause-land-and-soil/#:~:text=Six%20key%20degradation%20processes%20can,%2C%20compaction%2C%20salination%20and%20landslides. Accessed on 25//04/2024)