Nadine Lymn wrote:
The Soil Science Society invites ESA members to take part in a Soil
Science Society of America survey at
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB227QJZN76FX , developed to
identify soils research priorities for use by federal agencies
(USDA-CSREES, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Offices
of Science and Fossil Energy, NASA, and others) when developing their
annual research budget priorities and requests. It is very important
that the stakeholder community participate, if we are to ultimately see
real increases in funding for soils research. Thanks so much.
Honorable Forum:
I don't want to sound like a grump, but I feel grumpy. None of USDA's
survey questions get at my issues of concern with respect to wildland
soils. As usual, they all seem related to agronomy, and popular
politics (sustainable level of abuse, anyone?) which, in my
politically-incorrect mind is at cross-purposes with ecosystems. I have
zero confidence that there will ever be any interest in seriously
studying wildland soils, other than their "usefulness" for planting
crops and cropping plants outside of a few marginalized ecologists who
stumbled upon its importance to ecosystems.
I will measure how isolated I am in my grumpiness from the deafening
silence that commonly follows the uttering of discouraging words. I
admit to being torn between schmooze and sleight with respect to
effectively teasing embracers and attackers out of the open ranks and
upper eschelons of dirtophobes.
WT
