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Erosion

How Hugh Bennett Saved America’s Soil and Ended the Dust Bowl

#5 in series

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

EROSION: How Hugh Bennett Saved America's Soil and Ended the Dust Bowl

When the dust storms of the 1930s threatened to destroy U.S. farming and agriculture, Hugh Bennett knew what to do. For decades, he had studied the soils in every state, creating maps showing soil composition nationwide. He knew what should be grown in each area, and how to manage the land to conserve the soil. He knew what to do for weathering and erosion.

To do that, he needed the government's help. But how do you convince politicians that the soil needs help?

Hugh Bennett knew what to do. He waited for the wind.

This is the exciting story of a soil scientist confronting politicians to encourage them to pass a law to protect the land, the soil. When the U.S. Congress passed a law establishing the Soil Conservation Service, it was the first government agency in the world dedicated to protecting the land, to protecting the Earth.

Reading this amazing story of an unchronicled early environmentalist, Hugh Bennett, the founder of the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service).

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  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      June 15, 2020
      A soil conservation expert helps solve America's Dust Bowl problem in this fifth Moments in Science picture book. In the 1930s, eroding soil and the resulting gigantic dust storms, some reaching as high as 8,000 feet, destroyed millions of acres of farmland. When a congressional committee met in 1935 to discuss the problem, a soil scientist named Hugh Bennett (1881-1960) explained that farmers needed to change their methods, for example by rotating crops. But the committee was unconvinced it needed to take action--until a monster dust storm that "blotted out the sun" blew into Washington, D.C. Congress approved a soil conservation agency, the first of its kind, and Bennett became its director, reducing the areas affected by the Dust Bowl by half in two years. Pattison tells an entertaining story that captures not just scientific facts, but human drama as well. She makes erosion immediately understandable through simple but accurate language and attention-grabbing comparisons, such as a storm that "could have covered...Chicago in soil 12 inches (30.48 centimeters) deep." But she doesn't explain that plowing the deep-rooted native prairie contributed greatly to erosion. Willis' illustrations are stylish, richly colored, and dynamic, with playful details, like the recurring image of a raccoon covering its eyes from the dust. A compelling, kid-friendly, and visually appealing erosion story.

      COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:810
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

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