Are you taken aback by the amount of construction occurring in Toronto? Residents, commuters and visitors can’t help but notice the high volume of cranes and excavators popping up around the city. In fact, Toronto dominated a 2024 crane index covering 14 North American cities. The number of cranes counted in Toronto was 221 — almost four-and-a-half times more than the second-place city, Los Angeles (50 cranes). Seattle came in third (38 cranes) and Calgary came in fourth (20 cranes).It’s an exciting amount of progress, with all the cranes and excavators helping us achieve better infrastructure and higher property values, though it’s easy to get grumpy about the construction traffic. But how often do you think about the natural materials that make any of this possible? Specifically, the soil!Our land surface is such an important life-support system that connects us all. The biologically diverse macro- and micro-organisms in soils process water, nutrients and even contaminants, providing an environmental filter that buffers and transforms —enabling essential services for life as we know it.Yet we are not doing enough to maintain this life-supporting, non-renewable resource. Sure, environmental regulations play a critical role in protecting soils and providing circular solutions. Environmental learning opportunities also play a role.“Regulations are in force, but the number of cranes and construction projects in progress does not seem to be reflected in the Excess Soils Registry.”As an organizer of the annual Excess Soils Symposium, I’m proud to be a part of a hard-working team that carefully curates a variety of leading experts to provide critical updates and valuable insights about how to better care for soils involved in construction and cleanup projects. We cater to an enthusiastic community of industry stakeholders, government representatives, and environmental experts who never fail to dig into the tough issues. It’s an honour to bring together the speakers and panels, provide networking opportunities and help facilitate connections that make a positive difference. (ICE TORONTO)

Fonte notizia: https://environmentjournal.ca/