Soil Resources

Soil Resources include the top soil and mineral components of the Earth. Soil provides the medium in which plants grow.  It needs to be free of toxic chemicals and full of nutrients for plant growth. The soil also provides minerals and ores we use in electronics, jewelry,  and building materials.

Soil resources can become polluted by industrial waste, farm waste, and household waste. Additionally, soil resources can be depleted from over production of agricultural products. When this happens, farmers resort to using excessive amounts of fertilizers, which can run- off into the streams and pollute our water resources.

Another concern with soil resources is erosion. Erosion not only reduces the amount of soil available for agricultural production, it also fills the waterways with sediment. Sediment in streams, rivers, and wetlands causes problems for aquatic life by effecting the temperature and reducing sunlight.

Mineral extraction is, typically, an industry that produces a large amount of pollution. This is why it is critical to the health of individuals and the environment that there be regulations regarding mineral extraction.

As individuals, we can make wiser decisions regarding our personal consumption. We can choose to repair appliances and electronics instead of replacing the with a new device. This decision would reduce the need to extract resources, reduce the amount of materials entering landfills, and improve environment quality. Also, we can choose organic foods and free-ranged meats,  which are produced using soil conservation methods.

The most important take away from this is that our individual actions affect the quality and quantity of our natural resources.