A huge boost in corn production from US govt ethanol mandates has sent record amounts of nitrogen fertilizer down the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Once in the Gulf, the nitrogen breeds oxygen-eating algae that blossom on the water’s surface, depriving creatures of their lifeline. More nitrogen means even deader zones in the Gulf and elsewhere.
And with streams, rivers and other waterways struggling more than ever to drive out excess nitrogen naturally, the situation is going to get worse. Everywhere.
