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Global Nitrogen: Cycling out of Control Scott Fields Abstract
The nitrogen cycle is the basic element cycle that has been the most drastically altered by humankind--and the one that could have the greatest impact on global warming, water quality, and human health. Since the early 1900s discovery of a new chemical process to cheaply produce reactive nitrogen for industrial uses, mankind's production of these compounds has exploded by more than 10 times. Although nitrogen fertilizer makes it possible for more of the world's hungry to be fed, the unchecked production of reactive nitrogen compounds also harshly affects biodiversity, global warming, water quality, and other aspects of human health. Scientists are looking for ways to rein in this off-kilter cycle in a way that preserves the benefits offered by reactive nitrogen.
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