SOIL is as vital as air and water and should be given the same degree of
protection, says a report published last week. The Royal Commission on
Environmental Pollution warns that soil should not be taken for granted in a
world where food shortages and rising populations are putting greater demands
on agriculture.
鈥淪ome 10 per cent of the world鈥檚 soil has already been lost this century
through deforestation, erosion, urban development and other abuses of the
land,鈥� says John Houghton, who heads the commission.
The report warns that Britain needs to change its attitude now if it is to
avoid destroying its soil. Within the next few decades, Britain might find it
has to grow all its own food. 鈥淥nce it鈥檚 gone, we can鈥檛 get it back,鈥� says
Houghton.
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Houghton warns that built-up areas and roads already cover one-eighth of
England, and could spread over one-fifth of the country by the end of the next
century. Many of the commission鈥檚 91 recommendations are aimed at stemming
development in 鈥済reenfield鈥� sites. Developers should build on 鈥渂rownfield
sites鈥� 鈥� barren, derelict or contaminated land in urban areas. One key
recommendation is for local authorities to build up 鈥渂anks鈥� of reclaimed
brownfield sites for sale to developers. To speed this up, the government
should increase subsidies for decontaminating land from 拢100 million to
拢500 million a year, says Aubrey Silberston, an economist at Imperial
College, London, and a member of the commission.
The commission also wants curbs on activities that contaminate soil with
heavy metals. Most heavy metal contamination comes from industry but some is
added in raw sewage spread as fertiliser. This must stop, says the
commission.
The commission wants the government to draft a policy for protecting soil.
The national Environment Agency, which comes into being next month, should put
this policy into practice, it says.
Overall, says the commission, Britain鈥檚 soil is in fairly good shape, the
worst problems being widespread contamination with heavy metals and low levels
of organic matter in some arable soils.
The Council for the Protection of Rural England, Friends of the Earth and
other environmental groups have welcomed the report. 鈥淭he report contradicts
the assumption that agricultural land is not important,鈥� says Ben Plowden,
head of land use policy at the CPRE. 鈥淚t says in very clear terms that the
land and the soil are resources we cannot afford to squander.鈥�