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111 comments on DrumBeat: November 30, 2008

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Burgundy on November 30, 2008 - 3:25pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

There seems to be a race on as to which environmental catastrophe finally takes down civilisation. The potential acidification of topsoil in Northern America and Europe due to nitrogen deposition also seems to be a building threat.

Acid Soils In Slovakia Tell Somber Tale
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117153158.htm

Increasing levels of nitrogen deposition associated with industry and agriculture can drive soils toward a toxic level of acidification, reducing plant growth and polluting surface waters, according to a new study published online in Nature Geoscience...

...the authors warn that the high levels of nitrogen deposited in Europe and North America over the past half century already may have left many soils susceptible to this new stage of acidification.

Reminds me of the quote about civilisations leaving deserts in their wake.

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tstreet on November 30, 2008 - 3:43pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

It's time to dig out all those old copies of the book Dune to get some pointers about how to survive on the coming desertified planet. Bring on the Sand Worms!!

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710 on November 30, 2008 - 5:45pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

"Forests precede civilization and deserts follow." -- Francois Rene Chateaubriand (1768 - 1848)

"Forests precede us and deserts dog our heels." -- Derrick Jensen (1960 - )

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FMagyar on November 30, 2008 - 9:13pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Well how about this then?

A drop in oceanic zooplankton of 73 percent since 1960

Link

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DaveMart on November 30, 2008 - 9:41pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Weirdly, Defra included the graph showing this without further comment, and simultaneously indicated in the same graph on page 9 of their report that sustainable fishing was increasing:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/marine/pdf/mpp08-09.pdf

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111 comments on DrumBeat: November 30, 2008

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