Cornell Biology Prof Lists Record Corn Crop as Dead Zone Threat Multiplier
Robert Howarth, a professor of Biology at Cornell University, just posted this must read piece on Mississippi River Basin agriculture pollution on the Huffington Post:
The drive to produce biofuels from corn will only worsen the nation's growing nitrogen pollution problem. As we consider a biofuels policy, we need to remember that more corn-based ethanol production equates to devastated marine fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere. Perhaps it's time to give Gulf fisheries a much-needed break.
Read it all here.
Comments
Farmers use fertilzers to grow more crops and part of this is used to feed fish.
The fertilizer run off causes harmful algal bloom and this reduces fish population.
Instead if Diatom Algae are used the excesss fertilizer in water can be converted into fish feed and Fisheries use of corn or soya meal as fish feed will reduce.
Diatoms are also source of biodiesel.
Thus many problems can be solved at one go.
Posted by: M V Bhaskar | August 19, 2009 10:29 PM