"ENDANGERED" dirt. Enviro-whackos have found something new to stop building.

Fox news ^ | 11/21/03 | Fox news

[goldstategop]

Its a new justification for "smart growth." The Dalton McGuinty Government in Ontario, Canada wants to end urban sprawl. Considering most of the Province is unpopulated, its a hoot. But yeah, the socialists and greens dislike people living spread out both cause its harder to control them and it offends their sense of aesthetics. Big Brother knows best.

[footstomper]

Already have endangered rocks. Try picking up something in a national park, or where there is petrified wood, or fossils. That can be construed to make some sense. But endangered dirt gives new meaning of the enviro-whackos mental outlook.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[daylate-dollarshort]

San Mateo County Times

Some types of dirt are endangered -- and even extinct
UC Berkeley scientist urges 'saving soils on the basis of rareness or endangeredness'
By Stephen Strauss

Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - TORONTO GLOBE AND MAIL

Soil doesn't have an elevated place in the English lexicon. Things are as common as dirt, as plentiful as dirt and as cheap as dirt.

However, if a scientist at the University of California-Berkeley has his way, we may soon start to hear about soil that is as rare, endangered and beloved as dirt.

Ronald Amundson and his co-workers analyzed the distribution of soil in the United States and came up with some astounding statistics about the perilous status of the seemingly ubiquitous earths of North America.

In a recent paper, the scientists argued that of the 13,129 soil series in the United States -- a series is roughly the dirt equivalent of a species in the plant and animal realm -- 4,540 are rare or "rare-unique." On top of this, 508 are endangered, that is, threatened with elimination by agricultural or building practices. And 31 species are "effectively" extinct, meaning that they are 90 to 100 percent obliterated.

The researchers recommend that at least some of the endangered North American dirt be preserved with the same zealousness devoted to saving the African rhino or the Siberian tiger. "Maybe some groups of soil are worthy of consideration of what we want to leave to the future," Amundson says.

So, when is a soil worth saving and how do you go about saving it?

"I wouldn't advocate saving soils on the basis of rareness or endangeredness alone," Amundson says. "Preserving undisturbed soils is coincident with saving unique ecosystems."

The California scientist proposes linking the development of what you might call soil refuges to the unique ecosystems that they spawn. As an example, he points to the virtue of saving nutrient-poor soils near Ione, because they provide a habitat for plants not found anywhere else in the United States.

[sergeantdave]

I found some endangered dirt on my property 5 years ago. It was very sad dirt, the only one of its kind left. So to put it out of its misery, I shot with my shotgun. Now it just lies there, looking like dead dirt. I think it's happy now in dirt heaven.

[headsonpikes]

This new kind of gubmint science employment program(enviro-wackos et al) is the direct consequence of affirmative action programs for those students who are as dumb as dirt, who wish to attend college and get degrees but who lack the 'necessaries'.

They should be serving fries, but they're living large on the taxpayer's dollar.

[Smokin' Joe]

"Preserving undisturbed soils is coincident with saving unique ecosystems."

Undisturbed? Just how did this guy figure the soil got there? Sheesh! Very few areas have soil directly derived from underlying bedrock without some sedimentation/erosion going on.

Oh. undisturbed by those nasty humans.....

[two23]

LOL....first things first: [sarcasm: ON]
First they will have to revise all the Soil Maps and indicate the Sacred Soil area's (and depths).
If your property falls into one of the designated Endangered Soil Area's, you will not be allowed to do anything with that tract without having to run it through the Sacred Soil beauracray (permits/fees/sacred soil review board etc etc). Real Estate transactions my not only require an up to date survey, but also core borings and analysis (how to pass the cost of soil identification onto the the private sector).
Developers may be given a choice: No-Build Zone or the cost of removing sacred soil and relocating it to a protected area. (Endangered Soil Relocation Project)
Environmetal Impact Fees
Thousands of new jobs created in the local, state, federal government..higher property taxes---
[sarcasm: OFF]
Don't laugh---where have we seen this before?
Don't laugh...

[teeman8r]

for a small piece of the action, put the "dirt" in small plastic, made from recycled diapers, globes and market it as "save a little bit of the earth"... a tablespoon of the endangered earth should go for about 9.95... with 50% going to save the rain forest... just a thought..

have your people talk to my people and they'll do lunch

teeman

on a serious note, the dept. of the environment is trying to tell me that a rain run off ditch is a nontidal wetland which soil takes tens of thousands of years to create...

and i thought my property was mine... silly me