Going off-grid seems semi-romantic, with visions of living off the land. There, someone can take what’s necessary and share the remainder with the wildlife. This may be true if you were living in isolation but, once a group of people get together, it’s another story. David Montgomery in his book “Dirt – The Erosion of Civilizations” shows that humanity’s natural competitiveness and largess is turning the vibrant land into a shallow existence of itself, where no wildlife is to be seen.
The word dirt is almost purely derogatory in literature. Perhaps it’s from the exhortations of a mother trying to keep a house clean after a horde of little feet tread across the floor. But, it’s dirt that’s essential for turning seeds into trees, into bushes, and, most important to us, into food stuff. Good dirt, also known as soil, will enrich a farmer and power a city. Without this basis, people and communities fail. Dirt, may not be illustrious in literature, but it’s essential for our existence.
Montgomery, in his book, doesn’t mince words about our treatment of dirt. He demonstrates that we’ve abused this essential commodity. The result, as he shows through historical examples, is that we’ve ruined small areas of planet Earth. Thousands of years or longer will be necessary before recovery, if at all. For example, the vibrant forest ecosystem of Iceland exists no longer. Without the protective trees, the soil got blown away. Without soil, nothing will grow. Hence today’s images of Iceland paint a landscape more in keeping with the Moon. This process, as Montgomery describes, is what drives us to our own destruction. Effectively, we replace a proven ecosystem with one suited only for the needs of humans. Usually this means to remove all the indigenous plant life and sow wheat or other crops. However, the wheat plant can’t protect the soil and, within a few years, air blows or rain washes the soil away. The farmer thus moves on to another self-reliant patch of land and repeats their destructive action. Thus, as Montgomery shows, in a brief couple of thousand years, we’ve removed the soil from much of the land on Earth. As well, we are well on our way to doing the same for the remainder!
Montgomery supports his observation with many detailed and quantified examples from history; from the ancient Greeks up to today. Aside from detailed descriptions of dirt, its purpose in growing plants and its structure, Montgomery expands. There are success stories. One is of population control that ensures enough food without needing new land. Another is of improved farming practises. Countering this, is a world going mad on monocultures that eulogize fertilizer and genetically modified seeds. Overreaching all of this is humanity’s apparent inability to plan, to consider the future. As Montgomery says, the lure of short term profit is too strong for most people to consider the necessities of later years or later generations.
Though the topic may be terribly, unglamorous, Montgomery does it justice. People who want to learn of another crucial link in humanity’s survival will be rewarded to read this. As well, farmers, biologists, and economists would all find something of value from this book that reminds us that we are so dependent upon a healthy environment. Most important of all, it shows that the future of civilization needs extensive planning and good stewardship for its very survival.
Cities began with the tilling of soil. Civilization began with cities. David R. Montgomery in his book “Dirt – The Erosion of Civilizations” makes it very clear that the continued existence of civilization depends upon a healthy soil. It shows that dirt may be a nuisance in a household, but it is a necessity for our way of life.
| See the BOOK | SUBSCRIBE |