POLLUTION
problem/solution
THE PROBLEM
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The world's rivers are so badly affected by human activity that the water security of almost 5 billion people, and the survival of thousands of aquatic species, are threatened.
“2 million tonnes of sewage and agricultural waste is put into the world’s waterways every day, more than 80% of this wastewater is untreated”
Reactive nitrogen pollution has been identified as the single greatest cause of environmental pollution, creating lifeless waterways, toxic tides and hundreds of permanent ocean dead zones.
“Agricultural activities in the United States, primarily row crop and livestock production, account for over 80% of all nitrogen added to the environment.”
“Three quarters of contemporary global crop production (expressed in protein and including fodder crops and bioenergy by-products) is allocated to livestock.”
THE SOLUTION
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“The largest challenges are to manage nitrogen better in agriculture and to moderate Europeans’ consumption of animal protein. Amazingly, livestock consume around 85% of the 14 million tonnes of nitrogen in crops harvested or imported into the EU; only 15% is used to feed humans directly. European nitrogen use is therefore not primarily an issue of food security, but one of luxury consumption.”
“(in the demitarian) scenario ... river waters in most areas return to a status without eutrophication.”
(demitarian means halving meat consumption)
