It was a big step in the right direction. But itâs important to remember the equally vital contributions that can be made by private citizensâwhich is to say, by you. âChange only happens when individuals take action,â Aliya Haq, deputy director of NRDCâs Clean Power Plan initiative, says.
Cultural eutrophication is the process that speeds up natural eutrophication because of human activity. Due to clearing of land and building of towns and cities, land runoff is accelerated and more nutrients such as phosphates and nitrate are supplied to lakes and rivers, and then to coastal estuaries and bays.
Eutrophication is the enrichment of an ecosystem with chemical nutrients, typically compounds containing nitrogen, phosphorus, or both. Eutrophication can be a natural process in lakes, occurring as they age through geological time. Eutrophication was recognized as a pollution problem in European and North American lakes and reservoirs in the mid-20th century. Human activities can accelerate the rate at which nutrients enter ecosystems.