News Release

April 27, 2015 — In celebration of the International Year of Soil 2015 (IYS), the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is coordinating a series of activities throughout to educate the public about the importance of soil.  May’s theme is “Soils Support Buildings and Infrastructure.”

According to May’s IYS monthly leader Larry Baldwin, “No matter what type of home you live in, it’s connected to the soil.  Even schools, offices and stores are built on soil, and often with it.”

Here are some facts about soils, buildings and infrastructure:

1. 50% of the world’s population lives in buildings made from soil components.  In addition, lumber frames for construction come from trees grown in soil.
2. Building foundations need to be established on strong soils, capable of supporting from the average family home to a skyscraper.
3. Soils play a major role in our waste water systems, too. Soil-based treatment systems rely on the natural filtration ability of soils to clean wastewater in their leach fields.
4. Many cities are building more green space, supported with soil, to keep rainfall and snowmelt out of the storm water systems. This is decreasing the burden on the storm water systems, recharging aquifers, and improving water quality.

As part of their celebration of IYS, SSSA developed a series of twelve 2-minute educational videos. May’s “Soils Support Buildings and Infrastructure” video can be viewed at www.soils.org/iys/monthly-videos. Educational materials can be viewed at www.soils.org/iys by clicking on the May tab.

Follow SSSA on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SSSA.soils, Twitter at SSSA Soils.  SSSA also has a blog, Soils Matter, at http://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/.   Additional soils information is on www.soils.org/discover-soils, for teachers at www.soils4teachers.org, and for students through 12^th grade, www.soils4kids.org.

The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is a progressive international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, and founded in 1936, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members and 1,000+ certified professionals dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. The Society provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.