Tamsyn Jones's very informative cover story this issue serves to remind us, among other things, that great civilizations of the past have prospered or withered depending upon their relationship with their natural environment. Vibrant, healthy economies survived where soils, because of sensible agricultural practices, remained rich and fertile enough to produce food—and fell when farming became unsustainable. Mesopotamia flourished because of excellent soil, and collapsed because of a major decline in soil quality. Needless to say, that was all well before toxic chemicals were part of the picture. This fascinating subject, one that usually flies well below the public and media radar, also reminds me once again that our struggles to safeguard the global environment are really all about public health.
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