We all need water
Excessive nutrients in waterways negatively impact the environment, the people and the economy.
Consequences of excessive nutrients in the water:
People
-
Higher cost of drinkable water and health risks
-
Lower food security and diminished access to clean water
-
Reduced recreational & economic benefits from activities using bodies of water like fish farming, tourism and diving
Planet
-
Water reserves suffering irreversible environmental changes
-
Severe loss of biodiversity
Economy
-
Freshwater pollution by phosphorus and nitrogen represents very high costs for government agencies
-
$4.3 Bn spent annually in the USA on dealing with freshwater pollution (Kansas State University)
-
$157 Bn spent annually in the USA on dealing with environmental and health damages (Environmental Research Letters)
According to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization, agriculture is the biggest water pollutant due to the excess of nutrients. It is primarily nitrogen and phosphorus that are introduced to bodies of water, which result in rivers, lakes and eventually oceans becoming polluted.
These nutrients spark an excessive growth of algae, which is known as eutrophication
With a growing population and food demand, the situation is only expected to get worse. Can you imagine what our rivers and our oceans will look like if we don’t do something now?
The nutrients come mainly from two sources:
Fertilizer Runoff
Fertilizer Runoff
Annually, 200 million tons of fertilizer is consumed worldwide. It is applied more heavily than the plants can absorb and approximately 50% of the fertilizer is washed away by rain or irrigation and is wasted.
Animal Manure
Animal manure
Animal waste is stored in lagoons (open ponds) or pits and is applied to farm fields untreated as a fertilizer. Most lagoons are lined with clay and are therefore prone to leaking, allowing the waste to seep into groundwater.
At microTERRA we see it as an opportunity!
Discover our solution
According to the International Nitrogen System:
“We must halve the amount of nitrogen we dump into the environment by mid-century
or our ecosystems will face epidemics of toxic tides, lifeless rivers, and dead oceans"
