The other Element of Climate Change

The Pioneer , Thursday, December 21, 2017
Correspondent :
While carbon pollution is known for its role in climate change, nitrogen pollution is fast emerging as a more challenging problem which may become a serious ecological threat. Nitrogen effluence must be curbed

Climate change has become almost synonymous with rising carbon levels and carbon footprint but while carbon pollution gets the limelight, a lesser highlighted pollutant — nitrogen is slowly and alarmingly becoming a serious ecological threat and making it essential for us to focus on assessing our nitrogen footprint. Recent studies conducted by the University of Sydney’s Integrated Sustainability Analysis team, published in the journal, ‘Nature Geoscience’ has pegged India at the second position globally with 11 per cent emissions of nitrogen while China occupied the number one position.

Nitrogen emissions have been a cause of concern globally as well. In Europe alone, environmental and human health costs of nitrogen pollution are estimated to be €70-320 billion per year, whereas in India, the cost of pollution on account of nitrogen are estimated to be $75 billion per year.

The concerning aspect of nitrogen is reactive nitrogen, which emanates from two main sources — burning of fossil fuels and the usage of agricultural fertilisers. Besides this, nitrogen from fertiliser, effluent from livestock and human sewage boost the growth of algae and cause water pollution.

The adverse impact of nitrogen on human life and environment is much more telling than that of carbon pollution and scientists and researchers are now realising the same. Nitrogen emissions, such as ammonia, nitrogen oxide and nitrous oxides, contribute to particulate matter and acid rain.

These cause respiratory problems and cancer for people and damage to the environment. Nitrogenous gases also play an important role in global climate change. Nitrous oxide is a particularly potent greenhouse gas as it is over 300 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

The challenging part of reining in reactive nitrogen is the fact that plants need reactive nitrogen in the form of fertilisers to grow, whereas the same is detrimental to human health. According to the data of the Fertiliser Association of India, of the 17 million tonne of nitrogen fertiliser consumed annually in India, only a third of that, which is applied to rice and wheat, is absorbed by the plants in the form of nitrates (NO3). It is therefore, crucial, to not only bring down the use of fertiliser but in the interest of food security, it is essential to grow more food to feed an expanding population while minimising problems associated with nitrogen fertiliser use.

Given these conditions, reducing our nitrogen footprint is even tougher than reducing our carbon footprint. Cutting back industrial emissions is challenging enough, but cutting back food production is virtually impossible: As the world population grows, so will food demands.

As India already battles worsening air quality, the emergence of nitrogen pollution threat is a major cause of concern. Excessive use of coal in India for power generation and other applications, besides the consumption of other fossil fuels, is only exacerbating the situation further. Nearly 80 per cent of the nitrogen used during agriculture and other activities is lost to the environment leading to irreparable and irreversible damage to the water bodies and environment.

This can be curbed with an effective treatment of municipal wastewater, which can be initiated right from installation of treatment facilities at household level and then advanced treatment facilities at city level. These sewage treatment plants must be technologically equipped to treat the nitrogen presence in waste water and then either recirculate the wastewater for non-consumption usage such as watering public parks and so on.

On the agricultural front, the Government must make intensive efforts to rein in nitrogen effluence as manufacturing of nitrous fertilisers is an extremely fossil fuel intensive activity and, hence, the usage has to be conscious of this fact.

The authorities must assist the farmers through farming communities and self-help groups to check and regulate the spread of fertiliser in their farm holdings in order to ensure accurate application and, therefore, prevent excessive use. It is also crucial that the staff applying these fertilisers are adequately trained in crop nutrient management planning and only use minimum necessary quantities.

Additionally, local authorities must also periodically help the farmers conduct soil analysis tests that can establish how much fertiliser is needed and for this, the farmers must be equipped with soil nitrogen test kits that are affordable and simple to use but have good accuracy. We already have carbon footprint to manage and reduce, nitrogen footprint cannot be allowed to become yet another environmental and human health issue. This is only possible through timely intervention and effective remedial measures.

 
SOURCE : http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/oped/the-other-element-of-climate-change.html
 


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