The last 40 years have seen an extraordinary
change in the global nitrogen cycle. As recently as the 1960s, nitrogen
availability on Earth was controlled by natural processes, but the
human creation of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and the release
of nitrogen from fossil-fuel combustion now match the natural rate
of formation of reactive nitrogen on the planet’s landscape.
The use of nitrogen is imbalanced, with industrialized countries
suffering pollution problems from too much nitrogen and low-income
countries having a shortage of nitrogen that constrains food production.
The goal of the N2007 Symposium is to address these two challenges
in an integrated manner. The meeting will bring together some of
the world’s best nitrogen scientists with development experts
to build a new agenda towards a sustainable use of nitrogen in our
planet.
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