Moments in Science

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).