P Is for Phosphorus
npr.org
P Is for Phosphorus
1–9 of 9 posts
Re: P Is for Phosphorus
#2Phosphorus retrieval - relocating it from relatively poor land that is acceptable for low-density infrequent grazing, but unsuitable for intensive agriculture - and returning it to the more intensely farmed areas of a human habitation, is one of the key benefits Simon Fairlie describes in his book[1] for the keeping of large grazing animals (even if they're not primarily kept for meat consumption).
I have a very small sample set, but I've yet to meet a vegan that's aware of the phosphorus cycle problem. The only alternative to grazing / foraging animals (and as per TFA I'm happy to include humans in that category) is to employ large amounts of infrastructure and energy, and it's not even clear how long that would work.
Re: P Is for Phosphorus
#3Phosphorus is one of the things you learn a lot about when in renal failure. Its something that the kidneys regulate in your body. And dialysis is not so good in removing it. Also it turns out most natural protein sources have phosphorus so it can build up in you. But the worst kind is the added phosphorus preservatives which takes the body no effort to absorb. And at this time, there is no requirements to disclose the amount on a nutritional label. SO a lot of it is guesswork.
Typically high phosphorus is treated using binder which are medicines that absorb the phosphorus before your body does. Most of them have ancillary side effects though the recent varieties are getting much better.
Re: P Is for Phosphorus
#4It's worth mentioning in this context the sad, strange story of Nauru:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru
A tiny Pacific island, formerly covered in rainforest, now mostly desert after having been mined for phosphate. Without plant cover, its groundwater is going brackish. Also, Australia detains migrants there. Or rather, a private company detains migrants there on behalf of the Australian government.
Re: P Is for Phosphorus
#5I couldn't find a picture of the mentioned Moroccan conveyer belt on NPR's site, but Atlas Obscura has a few pics:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-world-s-longest-conv...
Re: P Is for Phosphorus
#6That typo in the first sentence really got me,
"You know who you don't mean much anymore?"
Re: P Is for Phosphorus
#7Peak phosphate is front of mind for a lot of commodity traders, but most end users (farmers) are unaware or apathetic - at least in New Zealand where I grew up. Most farmers will put an annual quota of Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potassium (NPK) on their farms as advised by either of the two major fertiliser suppliers. Every 5 years or so these companies revise how much Phosphate should be applied, increasing it each time as the efficacy of the phosphate application lessens.
Soil is incredibly complex. Much like the human body, it has a lot of different chemical and biological interactions. For example phosphate is often applied with Lime (calcium carbonate), which adjusts the pH of the soil. The soil pH has to be roughly between 6 & 7 for it to be available for uptake by plants/roots (once again accounting for hundreds of other factors). If the soil has pH>7 the phosphate will be "fixed" by the excess calcium. If it has a pHA more effective action than trying to find new sources of phosphate is to change how we use the phosphate. Applying the phosphate with carbon and organic matter is probably a good start. Carbon is good for binding nutrients and organic matter is a biological playground for worms and fungi. Mycorrhizae are soil fungi that form a symbiotic association with plant roots. The hyphae (branch) of the fungus connect with plant roots and extend into the soil, acting like extensions of the plants root system by absorbing nutrients and transporting them back to the plant roots. A major benefit in this respect is an increase in P uptake. In exchange, the mycorrhizae receive sugars manufactured by the plant (through photosynthesis or other nutrient uptake).
Unfortunately there hasn't been much commercialisation of any of new science/innovation in the fertiliser industry, for reasons I'm not too sure (disclaimer - my family produce fertiliser so I might be biased/jaded by the industry). Probably because we still aren't close enough to peak phosphate. It may also be because the soil conditions have to change before they become conducive to biology and organic matter, which would mean a "down year" for a farmer. There are also a lot of snake-oil salesman peddling the latest magic water that a farmer can spray on their crops for immediate results.
We need to start looking after our soil much like we look after our bodies. Living on a diet of NPK is just as bad for soil as a human living on burgers, coke, and fries.
Re: P Is for Phosphorus
#8I couldn't find a picture of the mentioned Moroccan conveyer belt on NPR's site, but Atlas Obscura has a few pics: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-world-s-longest-conv...
Google image search brings up tons. I expected it to be a semi-enclosed structure (think log flume), but it turns out it's really just an absurdly long flat conveyor belt, carrying dust and soil more than the "ore" I'd imagined (although some photos show more defined rocks and ore).
Re: P Is for Phosphorus
#9It's worth mentioning in this context the sad, strange story of Nauru: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru A tiny Pacific island, formerly covered in rainforest, now mostly desert after having been mined for phosphate. Without plant cover, its groundwater is going brackish. Also, Australia detains migrants there. Or rather, a private company detains migrants there on behalf of the Australian government.
> Or rather, a private company detains migrants there on behalf of the Australian government.
This is a can of worms which anyone who has an interest in human rights should open and look into. What our government is doing to refugees on Nauru is criminal.