Environmental Resource Management Series – serie

As we enter the last decades of the twentieth century, many persistent and perplexing problems continue to afflict humankind. Thus it is appropriate to address, in a new group of books, two of the monumental issues that haunt people throughout the world. Soils and the Environment by Professor Gerald W. Olson is the first book in this new publish­ ing program on Environment, Energy, and Society. The purpose of all these books will be to explore the many interrelated facets of these topics and to provide guidance for deal ing with problems and offering ideas for their solutions. Environment and energy are twin problems that occupy what many believe to be opposite sides of a two-headed coin. They are often viewed as being antithetical and incompatible. The various books in this program will try to place in perspective the options that are available to those who design policy and plan and manage societal matters. Typical of books being developed currently are ones on coal resources, environmental geoscience, environmental pollution, land-use planning, nuclear energy, mineral resources, and water resources. However, because soils are at the very heart of civilization and provide the building block for human sustenance, it is fitting to inaugurate this series with Dr. Olson's timely analysis of soils. Unfortu­ nately, these most vital resources seen. to have low priority in many farming enterprises, urbanization projects, deforestation schemes, and mining and developmental terrain changes.

Mankind lives, works, and plays on the earth's surface. The majority of such human activities change in some manner the geological materials and processes of our planet. It is the basis of this book that an understanding of this relationship is significant. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that natural processes and events can in turn greatly affect society. Erosion devastates farms and grazing lands. The spectacular hazards of earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, and landslides can lead to disastrous loss of life and property. Thus, one theme in this book is to provide perspective on the duality of these impacts on the environmental scene. Geology is a key component that can lead to an improved understanding of these changes and influences. A care­ full orchestration of geological studies can help soften the deleterious aspects of nature and minimize the harmful byproducts of civilization. This is the central message that is repeated throughout these pages. This book is one of a series of volumes published and in preparation in the series entitled "Environmental Resources Management. " Books already in print include two on soils, and others on mineral resources, and land-use planning. These will be followed by books on surface-water resources, groundwater resources, environmental pollution, energy resources, coastal environments, glacial environments, arid regional environments, and others. Chapter 1 provides the introduction and sets the stage and tone for the book. Chapters 2,3, and 4 deal with the resource base of society - minerals, fuels, and water.

This volume discusses the mineral resources upon which modern civiliza­ tion is built. Take away these minerals and humanity will rapidly return to the stone age, with its greatest concern the depletion of flint (also a mineral). It would, of course, result in about a 99% reduction in population. In other words, approximately 99% of the worlds' population is dependent on minerals for its existence. That is a pretty strong statement, but how many have even seen a travois? Without minerals, pack animals, rafts, rowboats, sail boats, sledges, and the backs of man would be the only forms of transport. Sufficient food could not be transported, nor could it be grown on our tired soils without tractors and fertilizer. Even in the more fertile tropics where nearly half of the population is now suffering from malnutrition, crops are dependent on "miracle" grains that require mechanization and mineral fertilizers. Modern buildings cannot operate without electricity and, without mineral fuels, few people in the northern latitudes would survive the first winter.