The Climate Briefing Series is made
possible, in part, by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Paleoclimate
Program
THE ROLE OF NITROGEN IN GLOBAL CHANGE
featuring:
Dr. James Galloway, Sidman P. Poole Professor of Environmental Sciences, and the Associate Dean for the Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Virginia (download Jim's slides)
Dr. Gordon Bonan, senior scientist and head of the Terrestrial Sciences Section in the Climate and Global Dynamics Division at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (download Gordon's slides)
MODERATOR:
Paul Higgins, Associate Director, American Meteorological Society Policy Program
watch the full episode (50 minutes, 58 seconds):
Program Summary: Every year humans create and spread more biologically active nitrogen than all natural terrestrial sources combined. This has been critical for society’s success because nitrogen based fertilizers help feed our people. However, the additional nitrogen available to natural systems also has considerable downsides for society. Excess nitrogen both disrupts the flow of critical goods and services that biological systems provide and amplifies the risks of climate change. This briefing will describe the ongoing changes in nitrogen use, explore the possible consequences to society, and identify potential policy options.
