Climate battle starts at ground level

Philip Barron looks at the role soil plays in saving the planet

by Philip Barron 5th November 2009

In the run-up to the Copenhagen climate change conference, leading soil scientists from across the United Kingdom have emphasised the crucial role that soil plays in preventing climate change by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. In September the British government published a strategy document setting out plans to halt and reverse the erosion and degradation of England’s soil over the next twenty years, working with farmers and other land managers, developers, planners and construction companies to manage soil sustainably.