Europe’s nitrogen footprint causes concern 11 April 2011 |
Tierney Smith | Agriculture, Forestry, Water, Europe Nitrogen
pollution is costing each person in Europe between £130 and £650
(€150 - €740) a year, according to a new study. Across Europe
between £60 billion and £280 billion is spent annually
responding to damage from nitrogen pollution to water, climate,
health and wildlife. This is more than double the extra income
gained from using nitrogen fertilisers in agriculture. The first
European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA), released today (11 April) to
coincide with the start of a week-long ‘Nitrogen and Global
Change’‘ conference in Edinburgh, looks to put an economic value
on the multiple threats of nitrogen pollution. Welcoming the
report, Professor Bob Watson, Chief Scientific Advisor to the
UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
said: “The assessment emphasises how nitrogen links the
different environmental issues that we have come to know so
well: climate, biodiversity, air, wa