Global Population and the Nitrogen Cycle
by Vaclav Smil July 1997
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Source: Scientific American
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Notes:
Summary: Nitrogen is very important, because it's important element in all living things. For example, nitrogen is needed in order to make DNA, RNA, and proteins. As the population of humanity increases, so does the usage of nitrogen. Farmers used nitrogen fertilizers in order to frown more crops to feed billions of people worldwide. This is a huge problem, because excess of fertilizers can damage soil and water. Also, it can release more nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere creating global changes and health problems.
Reflection: While reading this article, I didn't know that farmers were using nitrogen fertilizers to grow their crops. I always thought that most of the farm work was organic, but because of population growth farmers don't really have much of a choice. But because we are overusing nitrogen fertilizers, it can can affect our at atmosphere and environment. This causes health problems for us and it affect Earth, because it is not adapted to it. We should stop using chemicals in order to grow crops for everyone, instead we should use organic resources and make everyone a mini farmer worldwide!
- On the average, the world's popularion has enough to eat because of numerous advances in modern agricultural practices.
- Human society's key chemical is the producers of Nitrogen fertilizer.
- Nitrogen is only a minor constituent of living matter.
- NItrogen is need for DNA, RNA, proteins and etc
- Farmers use human and animal waste along with growing legumes to create usable nitrogen.
- Scientists tried to find other was to produce ammonia
- Too much production can cause global changes, health problems, etc.
- Excess fertilizers can damage soil and water, it can release more nitrogen oxide
Summary: Nitrogen is very important, because it's important element in all living things. For example, nitrogen is needed in order to make DNA, RNA, and proteins. As the population of humanity increases, so does the usage of nitrogen. Farmers used nitrogen fertilizers in order to frown more crops to feed billions of people worldwide. This is a huge problem, because excess of fertilizers can damage soil and water. Also, it can release more nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere creating global changes and health problems.
Reflection: While reading this article, I didn't know that farmers were using nitrogen fertilizers to grow their crops. I always thought that most of the farm work was organic, but because of population growth farmers don't really have much of a choice. But because we are overusing nitrogen fertilizers, it can can affect our at atmosphere and environment. This causes health problems for us and it affect Earth, because it is not adapted to it. We should stop using chemicals in order to grow crops for everyone, instead we should use organic resources and make everyone a mini farmer worldwide!