While the concept of feeding our flora may seem innocuous, the use of fertilizers on our crops could be destroying the planet. A new study published in the journal Science by researchers from the University of Wisconsin reveals that excessive use of artificial fertilizers, which contain phosphorus and nitrogen, could pose a threat to the future of planet Earth.
The study, called "Planetary Boundaries, Guiding human development on a changing planet" was conducted by Professor Stephen Carpenter, director of the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and his colleagues.
According to the study, too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may not be the only problem. The researchers believe that the enormous amount of phosphorous and nitrogen being released into the atmosphere could be even more dangerous. Carpenter believes that western agriculture practices call for far more fertilizer than is actually required for farmers to grow adequate crops.
"We've changed nitrogen and phosphorus cycles vastly more than any other element," Carpenter says. "(The increase) is on the order of 200 to 300 percent. In contrast, carbon has only been increased 10 to 20 percent and look at all the uproar that has caused in the climate."
He goes on to explain that while land in America may have enough phosphorus and nitrogen in the soil, the same cannot be said for other areas such as Africa. In order for them to continue to grow adequate crops to meet the needs of their population, they must use fertilizer rich in nitrogen and phosphorus.
Carpenter thus recommends that American farmers reduce the amount of fertilizer they use, in order to limit any potential damages to the planet.
The Holocene period provided perfect conditions that allowed the human civilization to thrive. This period paved the wave for many of the most important events in human history including the invention of agriculture, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and the Industrial Revolution. However, by the start of the 20th century, human activities began to damage the environment.
"We're running up to and beyond the biophysical boundaries that enable human civilization as we know it to exist," Carpenter says. "It might be possible for human civilization to live outside Holocene conditions, but it's never been tried before. We know civilization can make it in Holocene conditions, so it seems wise to try to maintain them."
The report will be presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and covers other topics such as biodiversity loss and climate change.
