La Casa Blanca hace una llamada a la acción para salvar uno de los recursos más importantes de los Estados Unidos: El Suelo (Agencia Federal del suelo)

casa-blanca-llama-a-la-accion-para-salvar-los-suelos

Hoy no voy a traducir un documento bastante extenso publicado por el gabinete de prensa de la Casa Blanca, ya que los temas que aborda son conocidos por todos los lectores de esta bitácora. Tan solo os he traducido vía Google con pequeñas mejoras (aunque no suficientes), unos párrafos, reproduciendo todo el texto en inglés al final de este post. La razón estriba en que, más o menos, nos informa de lo que ya han defendido la FAO (La Alianza Mundial por el Suelo –GSP-), y El Panel Técnico de Suelos, ratificado por la Asamblea General de la ONU. Mientras tanto, en la Unión Europea, sigue estancada desde hace más de 10 años la Directiva para la protección del Suelo. Esperemos que muchos países sigan el ejemplo del Tio SAM, en este tema, aunque lamentablemente no lo harán todos. Por ejemplo, en España, no debería extrañarnos que nuestros gobernantes constituyan un lobby de constructoras con vistas a sellar todos la cobertura edáfica con asfalto y ladrillo, ya que así, cuando no exista nada que salvar, dinero que se ahorra el Estado y pingues beneficios para los responsables de sellar el “solar hispano”. Luego….. “Dios dirá”.

Tan solo resaltar que en el comunicado de la Casa Blanca se enfatiza la necesidad de mejorar la información de suelos, entendiendo que, tanto el inventario como la monitorización, deben ser consideradas actividades que no deben interrumpirse sino mejorarse permanentemente por los agentes e instituciones implicadas.

Os dejo con los párrafos aludidos y luego las cinco páginas de la nota de prensa original…….

Juan José Ibáñez

Párrafos traducidos introductorios…….

Casa Blanca hace una llamada para salvar los recursos naturales del suelo de EE.UU. Los suelos juegan un papel crítico en la seguridad alimentaria, la mitigación del cambio climático, las funciones de los ecosistemas, y de amortiguación contra los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos. Si bien es esencial para la estabilidad del planeta, la tierra se está desapareciendo a un ritmo alarmante. En la emisión de una llamada a la acción para el suelo, la Oficina de la Casa Blanca de Política Científica y Tecnológica busca acciones innovadoras de las agencias federales, científicos académicos e ingenieros, agricultores, empresarios, empresas, defensores y miembros del público en un esfuerzo nacional para impedir el suelo pérdida, mejorar la génesis del suelo, y restaurar los suelos degradados

La Oficina de Política de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Casa blanca ha llamado a la acción nacional y la formación de un grupo inter-institucional para proteger el suelo de los Estados Unidos.

Los suelos juegan un papel crítico en la seguridad alimentaria, la mitigación del clima, la función del ecosistema, y de amortiguación contra los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos. Si bien es esencial para la estabilidad del planeta, la tierra está desapareciendo a un ritmo alarmante.

En la emisión de una llamada a la acción para el suelo, OSTP busca acciones innovadoras que incluya a las agencias federales, científicos académicos e ingenieros, agricultores, empresarios, empresas, defensores y ciudadanía en un esfuerzo nacional para impedir la pérdida de suelo, mejorar la génesis del suelo, y restaurar suelos degradados.

Entrada de la Agencia Federal de suelo (Federal Agency Input on Soil): Un Grupo de Trabajo del Consejo Nacional de Nueva Ciencia y Tecnología……

En el marco del Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, OSTP ha establecido el Grupo de Trabajo Interinstitucional de Ciencia (SSIWG) del suelo, el cual recibirá la contribución técnica de 15 departamentos y agencias federales. Esta entrada incluirá la identificación de las brechas de conocimiento y tecnología, la identificación de prioridades de investigación y conservación, el fomento de las colaboraciones público-privadas, y trabajando hacia acciones federales para proteger los recursos del suelo.

Continua….

White House call to save U.S. soil natural resources

Soil plays critical roles in food security, climate mitigation, ecosystem function, and buffering against extreme weather events. Although it is essential for the stability of the planet, soil is disappearing at an alarming rate. In issuing a call to action for soil, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy seeks innovative actions from Federal agencies, academic scientists and engineers, farmers, entrepreneurs, businesses, advocates, and members of the public in a nationwide effort to impede soil loss, enhance soil genesis, and restore degraded soils.
Read more: https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/08/01/call-action-save-one-americas-most-important-natural-resources

A Call to Action to Save One of America’s Most Important Natural Resources

August 1, 2016 at 9:55 AM ET by Jo Handelsman and Parker Liautaud

Twitter Facebook Email

Summary: 

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is issuing a national Call to Action and forming an interagency group to protect America’s soil.

Soil plays critical roles in food security, climate mitigation, ecosystem function, and buffering against extreme weather events.  Although it is essential for the stability of the planet, soil is disappearing at an alarming rate.

In the United States, estimates are that soil on cultivated cropland is eroding at an average rate of 5.2 tons per acre per year, while the average rate of soil formation falls between 0.008 and 0.51 tons per acre per year. Some parts of the Midwest are losing soil at a much faster rate, especially during extreme weather events—in some regions of the United States, erosion has been measured at over 100 tons per acre in a single storm. That means that a layer of soil that took over 350 years to form was destroyed in a single day.

Climate change is expected to increase pressure on soil as the frequency of extreme weather events increases, bringing forceful rain and flooding, which can strip away soil. Without coordinated action, the United States is on track to run out of topsoil—the medium upon which crop production depends—before the end of the 21st century.

Erosion is not the only threat to America’s soil. Many urban soils have been contaminated with lead or toxic substances, posing a threat to human health. In some cases, intensive forestry and rangeland practices have also resulted in release of substantial soil carbon into the atmosphere, slowing progress toward tackling climate change. Another threat has been the deposition of atmospheric pollutants in forests, which has leached essential nutrients from forest soils in many parts of the Nation.

In issuing a call to action for soil, OSTP seeks innovative actions from Federal agencies, academic scientists and engineers, farmers, entrepreneurs, businesses, advocates, and members of the public in a nationwide effort to impede soil loss, enhance soil genesis, and restore degraded soils.

Federal Agency Input on Soil: A New National Science and Technology Council Working Group

Under the National Science and Technology Council, OSTP has established the Soil Science Interagency Working Group (SSIWG), which will receive technical input from 15 Federal departments and agencies. This input will include identifying knowledge and technology gaps, identifying research and conservation priorities, fostering public-private collaborations, and working toward Federal actions to protect soil resources.

A National Call to Action

OSTP is issuing a nationwide call to action for farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers, advocates, and the broader public to work together to develop innovative solutions to promote soil health and protect soil from degradation.  In order to meet a challenge of this scale, innovation and collaboration are needed at three key stages:

Monitoring Soil and Obtaining High-Quality Data

Implementing precise solutions to protect soil requires vast quantities of information. Data are needed about soil moisture, horizon depths, nutrient availability and cycling, soil architecture, type and extent of vegetation cover, microbial presence, soil carbon content, climate (especially precipitation and temperature), and other topics. This information needs to be continuously collected at high resolution across the Nation and made available to inform precise solutions.

This daunting task can be achieved through a combination of innovative technology and traditional expertise in soil science.  In particular, OSTP is interested in actions focusing on: (1) low-cost sensors for soil moisture and chemistry that are ready for large-scale deployment; (2) remote-sensing tools for mapping soil moisture, water use, vegetation type, and other soil-related metrics; and (3) expanded availability of high-quality data on soil for communities and farmers, including by obtaining open access to private agricultural and climate datasets for the purpose of soil conservation.

Informing Targeted Decision-Making and Engaging the Public

OSTP is specifically interested in actions and efforts that seek to: (1) advance interdisciplinary research on the role of soil in resilience of the food system, energy production, and water quality (especially in computational, chemical, and biological sciences), through, for example research grants or fellowships; (2) develop web portals and other mechanisms that improve the relevance and usability of data relevant to soil conservation; and (3) educate and engage the American public in the importance of soil and ways of participating in its protection, including through the creative arts as well as reliable citizen science

Applying Scalable Solutions on the Ground

Scientists, farmers, policymakers, and the public need scalable solutions that can be deployed widely at low cost. To that end, OSTP welcomes efforts to develop or deploy solutions or incentives achieve the following: (1) rapidly generating healthy soil or restoring degraded or contaminated soil; (2) increasing soil carbon content and sequestration; and (3) reducing pressure on agricultural soil that is particularly vulnerable to erosion.

Tell Us About Your Work

To tell us what you or your organization will do to protect soil resources, please submit this web form by August 31, 2016.

 Jo Handelsman is Associate Director for Science in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Parker Liautaud is Policy Advisor for Natural Resources in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Imágenes Relacionadas:

Compartir:

Deja un comentario