8/20/2019 Society Impacts Phosphorus and Nitrogen Cycle Part 3

1/2

Margarita Perez   1

Society Impacts Phosphorus and Nitrogen Cycle

4/12/15

Enironmental Science

Carrington College !nline

8/20/2019 Society Impacts Phosphorus and Nitrogen Cycle Part 3

2/2

Margarita Perez   2

  "or nearly #our decades hae passed since society heard the phrase $glo%al &arning'(

 No& &e can no longer )ust de%ate &ays to sho& climate change* &e need to #igure out ho& to

lie &ith it' Een though much o# the #ocus had %een on car%on cycle* they no& e+pand their

#ocus on other elements* such as nitrogen and phosphorus* this is a positie contri%ution' ,y

 proiding more #ertilizers to #armers in some o# the &orld-s poorest nations and reducing

nitrogen and phosphorus losses to the enironment in the deeloped and the rapid deeloping

ones' .lso at the same time &e could %e a more e##icient* less polluting relationship &ith the

glo%al nitrogen and phosphorus cycles &ould mitigate a host o# other enironmental challenges'

"or e+ample increase #ood security* and improe human &el#are'

  "eeding people is a good thing* %ut the a%ility to trans#orm the nitrogen and phosphorus cycle

has had unsustaina%le conseuences' "or the past t&o generations* humans hae shi#ted #rom

modestly to dominantly a##ecting nitrogen and phosphorus cycles' .lthough nitrogen in the

atmosphere is unreactie and phosphorus in the roc0s is unaaila%le to organisms* &e no& can

create more nitrogen eery year than all natural processes on land com%ined* and tripled the rate

at &hich %iologically aaila%le phosphorus enters ecosystem'

  ,eing %etter educated a%out the &orld &e lie in has an impact on ho& &e ie& things' !ne

human impact on nitrogen cycle is nitrate pollution o# ground&ater arising #rom poor animal and

human &aste management practices' umans do impact the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles %y

simply ma0ing changes* altering the #ace o# the planet* through %uilding cities and &idespread

agriculture' !ther changes arise due to human additions to* or remoal o#* such as su%stances

#rom the enironment'