The soil crisis – signal of a continuing crisis in humanity’s thinking

Abstract

Soil is the basis of life on planet Earth and therefore naturally belongs to all of humanity. In fact, the ownership of the soil is a determinant of the ownership of life. In 2004, with Slovakia’s accession to the European Union, Slovak soil was also included in the European Union’s reservoir of soil wealth. At present, soil and its protection belong to a pan-European area of interest, forming a unified system of legislative protection and practical use of land. However, in the light of the European Union’s current objectives of preserving a sustainable environment, the system of soil protection and use is facing new challenges determined by economic oscillation. One such challenge is the problem of what can be described as the ‘soil crisis’. The soil crisis risks giving rise to phenomena that could lead to a trend towards soil scarcity, soil loss or even soil extinction. The soil crisis is a signal of a continuing crisis in humanity’s thinking.