Nitrogen Pollution Costs Europe Billions Per Year
A five year study in Europe determined that the costs of using nitrogen fertilizers significantly outweigh the benefits, costing billions of dollars worth of damage.
Nitrogen pollution costs Europe between 70 and 320 billion euros ($100bn-$460bn) per year in its impact on health and the environment, according to a major European study launched in Britain on Monday.
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The first European Nitrogen Assessment, the result of a five-year research programme, found that the costs represented more than double the benefits for the continent’s agriculture sector.
The ENA was to be launched Monday at a five-day international conference in Edinburgh.
The study was carried out by 200 experts from 21 countries and 89 organisations, who came up with recommendations on how to reduce the amount of nitrogen in water, the air, the earth and ecosystems.
The solutions, as you might expect, involve going back to more traditional and effective ways of fertilizing the soil. Nitrogen pollution, especially when it enters rivers as runoff, is particularly nasty.
Alex… dude. There’s no such thing as pollution. Have you been reading Daily Kos again?
benefits accrue to the users, screw everyone else…
“involve going back to more traditional and effective ways of fertilizing the soil.”
Monsanto should consider getting into the Terra preta business.
Okay, let’s try this. Only anyone who participated or thinks this report is correct, eats last. They are out of their ever loving minds if they think that the impact of nitrogen fertilizer is worse than its benefits. And, they apparently are ignorant of what happens when you use “traditional” fertilizer to achieve the same productivity.
The answers are exactly what farmers are doing, targeted, measured application based on real time testing using GPS location technology. And the installation of nitrogen capturing vegetation to filter run off.
Not to mention, I’m sure these are the very same idiots who would be complaining about the fragrance of nature if they ever were around a field that had “traditional” fertilizer applied.
Oh, well, a five year, multi-country study vs your arbitrary assertion backed by no evidence? Gee, you’ve totally convinced me….
I live on a 200 hundred acre, no-till, contour planted grain farm. We use a 4T/acre organic fertilizer spread (poultry if you must know). Over the 5 year gradual switchover from synthetic nitrogen, we have seen a consistent 10-15% yield increase each year.
But please, tell me how my actual production facts are wrong and your screed is correct.
Where in hell are they doing that? I don’t know a single farmer that goes to that kind of effort in Illinois. Sure they use GPS to pretty much self guide the tractors and such but no one does what you speak of. Is this an European thing?
Neil Hudelson : Good to see a modern farmer around here.
When I was involved in the farm business we actually used manure from the hogs and cattle..
I’m guessing JKB won’t be back to respond. He dug himself a pretty deep hole of stupid with that one comment.
http://news.discovery.com/earth/amish-farmers-play-a-large-role-in-polluting-the-chesapeake.html
This stories blames organic fertilizer, instead of synthetic fertilizer for polluting.