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The good news (for some of the approximately 57,600 Greenlanders, at least): Greenland now has much more control over its destiny, following the decision from Denmark to allow self-rule for Greenlanders (see the article at the Sydney Morning Herald). The not-so-good news: the following excerpt from this, and other, articles on this event is a ...

A new Comment has been posted in reply to A soil scientist's lament, by Professor Philippe Baveye (the author of the article mused upon in the original post). It's well worth reading. You can get to it by clicking here, too (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

Yesterday I could have had a very bad day. Things felt busier than usual, I felt less than well-prepared for a class, and to top it all off I forgot my USB thumb drive on which I had some material prepared the previous evening for a class. [USB drives seem essential small items these days, along with mobile 'phones. I have a gonzo theory ...

The journal Nature is marking The Year of Planet Earth in 2008 with free access to their Year of Planet Earth feature - find it at http://www.nature.com/nature/supplements/collections/yearofplanetearth/. Many of the articles in the feature have relevance to soil science: From landscapes into geological history - Philip A. Allen Nature 451, ...

Two quotes from Bruce Cockburn appropriate to the Christmas season (and the mood it gets me in): ''This bluegreen ball in black space Filled with beauty even now battered and abused and lovely'' from the song ''Planet of the Clowns'' on the album The Trouble With Normal (1983) This was written in the early 1980s, and there seems ...

Musings on: Baveye, P. C. & Jacobson A. R. (2008). Soil science education and the ''age of money'': reflections and concerns for the near future. Water, Air and Soil Pollution 187:1-4. This was a guest editorial in Water, Air and Soil Pollution, and I decided it to be worth reading; there's much to be said for a catchy title. The topic ...

Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (1st Perennial classics Ed. New York : HarperPerennial, 1998, 288 p. (first published 1974). I re-read this book over the last month or so. It's wonderful - a rare book of incredible linguistic beauty. It should be compulsory reading for anyone with an interest in the natural sciences, if only to remind ...

Ancient literature like the Christian Bible uses soil or earth as a metaphor for a number of things, and since it's just before Christmas I wondered if something soil-related could be found in the gospel rendition of the Chritsmas story. No such luck . . . but the story below was told by the man of the season himself, and uses soil as a powerful ...

'''In Excess' describes the lifestyle of many affluent people, a lifestyle that is purchased with money, a lifestyle some think they are entitled to. This lifestyle entails wastage, excess consumption and the purchase of items not wanted or needed. Yet over a billion people cannot even meet their basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, and health ...