Too Much of a Good Thing

An analysis published this week calculates that excess nitrogen in the environment costs the EuropeanUnion (EU) between €70 billion (US$100 billion) and €320 billion per year1. It is the first time that an economic value has been placed on the threats posed by nitrogen pollution, including contributions to climate change and biodiversity loss. To put that into perspective, this cost is more than double the value that nitrogen fertilizers are estimated to add to European farm income.This economic valuation is just one outcome of the five-year European Nitrogen Assessment, which has drawn together 200 experts, including ourselves, to understand the sources, processes and impacts of nitrogenas a basis to inform policy.

SUTTON Mark A;  OENEMA Oene;  ERISMAN Jan Willem;  LEIP Adrian;  VAN GRINSVEN Hans;  WINIWARTER Wilfried; 

2011-07-27

NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

JRC65637

0028-0836,   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC65637,   

10.1038/472159a,