Post pandemic and the war in the east we certainly need some new “uber fear” to fill our brains these days.
Enter ‘phosphogeddon’! Stalker’s eye was immediately drawn to the article in The Observer newspaper - “ Scientists warn of ‘phosphogeddon’ as critical fertiliser shortages loom.”
It is a headline to set the heart racing for sure.
The piece was conveying the idea that overuse of phosphorus is depleting reserves vital to global food production while also contributing to climate change. Nothing to worry about there then!
Phosphate fertilisers washed from fields can give rise to algal blooms and create aquatic dead zones that threaten fish stocks. When the algae die they can decay to produce methane, a top greenhouse gas, thus adding to the climate problem.
Sometimes one just wants to stick one’s head in the sand and not even hear about these things. Thankfully though, the same scientists who identify these problems are working towards solutions.
