The world’s most pervasive groundwater pollution problem – nitrate in drinking water – is under scrutiny in the richest farming region of the United States. This week, a report for the California Legislature revealed that 250,000 people living in Central California, including four of the top five agricultural counties in the U.S., are currently at risk for nitrate contamination in their drinking water. Many of them are among the poorest Californians. Nitrate, in this instance, is a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizer. In drinking water, high concentrations of it can interfere with the ... Read More
Under Pressure
May 8, 2009 • By • Leave a Comment
The American Automobile Association consistently finds that a fifth of all vehicles have at least one under-inflated tire. That may be because motorists are three times more likely to give their cars a monthly wash than a tire check. As a result, the U.S. Department of Energy reports that such under-inflation causes a loss of some 2 million gallons of fuel per day. But proper inflation isn't just a matter of fuel economy and tire longevity — under-inflation can also cause deadly blowouts. Instead of sidling up to the nearest air hose, why not consider pumping them full of nitrogen ... Read More
Ecologist Dismisses ‘Ethanol Solution’
May 16, 2008 • By • Leave a Comment
Ecologist Alan Townsend doesn't pull any punches: "To me, ethanol is a loser!" The ecologist and biochemist at the University of Colorado can't find any benefits in America's love affair with corn- and sugar cane-based ethanol. While discussing the nitrogen cycle with Miller-McCune.com, Townsend noted the pernicious effects of ethanol production and what has been called "the forgotten greenhouse gas." Much of his concern centered on the production of corn and sugar cane used to distill ethanol, and in this he suggested those who tout ethanol's contributions in stalling global warming ... Read More
Is Nitrogen the New Carbon?
May 16, 2008 • By • 1 Comment
Nitrogen could be the new carbon. Just as carbon is roughly seen in the popular imagination as the elemental culprit in climate change, nitrogen, which comprises four-fifths of the air that we breathe, may also become a prime-time villain. But it's a complex villain at best. While the stable form of nitrogen in the air is no problem, "reactive nitrogen" — the chemically active form in things like ammonia and the air pollutant nitrogen oxide — can be. And nitrogen-based fertilizers are vital in producing enough food (and now fuel) for a planet with more than 6.6 billion mouths to ... Read More
