![\"phosphorus](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd8481b7f8b9a99601f0000-285-226\/phosphorus-crisis.jpg\")
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Everyone’s talking about the phosphorus crisis! (See NY Times<\/a>, Der Spiegel<\/a>, Foreign Policy<\/a>).<\/p>\n It turns out we’re running out of this critical element that’s necessary for fertilizer.<\/p>\n And if we run out, we’ll be set back fifty years in agriculture — and that means billions of people without food.<\/p>\n So we thought we’d break it all down.<\/p>\n Source: Scientific American<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: Scientific American<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: Foreign Policy<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: USDA<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: Dana Cordell at Linköping University<\/a> and Der Spiegel<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Phosphorus was the Greek name for the morning star, also known as Lucifer<\/span>.<\/p>\n The element was discovered in 1669 when a German alchemist boiled down 50 buckets of urine in search of the Philosopher’s Stone.<\/p>\n Phosphorus was used in incendiary bombs in WW2. It also has industrial applications, such as in laundry detergent.<\/p>\n But the most important use (90% of consumption) is in fertilizer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Join the conversation about this story »<\/a><\/p>\n Everyone’s talking about the phosphorus crisis! (See NY Times, Der Spiegel, Foreign Policy). It turns out we’re running out of this critical element that’s necessary for fertilizer. And if we run out, we’ll be set back fifty years in agriculture — and that means billions of people without food. So we thought we’d break it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1084,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-547287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1084"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=547287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547287\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=547287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=547287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=547287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Phosphorus makes up around 12% of all commercial fertilizer. It is irreplaceable.<\/h2>\n
![\"Phosphorus](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd857237f8b9af6089e0000-400-300\/phosphorus-makes-up-around-12-of-all-commercial-fertilizer-it-is-irreplaceable.jpg\")
<\/div>\nPhosphorus-based fertilizer enabled us to feed a global population that has tripled since WW2… and will increase 33% by 2050<\/h2>\n
![\"Phosphorus-based](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4b7f130000000000004a15bb-400-300\/phosphorus-based-fertilizer-enabled-us-to-feed-a-global-population-that-has-tripled-since-ww2-and-will-increase-33-by-2050.jpg\")
<\/div>\nUse of phosphorous rock has increased 1100% since WW2<\/h2>\n
![\"Use](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd8436a7f8b9abe5fa40100-400-300\/use-of-phosphorous-rock-has-increased-1100-since-ww2.jpg\")
<\/div>\nOver half of phosphorus consumption takes place in the developing world and is growing rapidly <\/h2>\n
![\"Over](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd8443c7f8b9ad451f30200-400-300\/over-half-of-phosphorus-consumption-takes-place-in-the-developing-world-and-is-growing-rapidly.jpg\")
<\/div>\nModerate estimates put global demand at 3% increase per year <\/h2>\n
![\"Moderate](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd8473c7f8b9a0b524e0400-400-300\/moderate-estimates-put-global-demand-at-3-increase-per-year.jpg\")
<\/div>\nUnfortunately, we’re hitting peak phosphorous in 2035<\/h2>\n
![\"Unfortunately,](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd843ce7f8b9abf51690300-400-300\/unfortunately-were-hitting-peak-phosphorous-in-2035.jpg\")
<\/div>\nPhosphorus is technically a renewable resource… but it takes ten million years to return to the soil<\/h2>\n
![\"Phosphorus](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd855247f8b9a6054880300-400-300\/phosphorus-is-technically-a-renewable-resource-but-it-takes-ten-million-years-to-return-to-the-soil.jpg\")
<\/div>\n90% of global reserves is controlled by five countries: Morocco, China, South Africa, USA, and Jordan<\/h2>\n
![\"90%](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd843fc7f8b9a0179140300-400-300\/90-of-global-reserves-is-controlled-by-five-countries-morocco-china-south-africa-usa-and-jordan.jpg\")
<\/div>\nAmerica’s phosphorus production is declining… and will be exhausted by 2050<\/h2>\n
![\"America's](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd857537f8b9ac408470100-400-300\/americas-phosphorus-production-is-declining-and-will-be-exhausted-by-2050.jpg\")
<\/div>\nAfter exporting for decades, America now imports 10% of its supply<\/h2>\n
![\"After](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bb33e827f8b9a9261e20700-400-300\/after-exporting-for-decades-america-now-imports-10-of-its-supply.jpg\")
<\/div>\nChina imposed a 135% phosphorus tariff in 2008 (thankfully we have a trade deal with Morocco)<\/h2>\n
![\"China](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd857757f8b9afd08200100-400-300\/china-imposed-a-135-phosphorus-tariff-in-2008-thankfully-we-have-a-trade-deal-with-morocco.jpg\")
<\/div>\nSource: Foreign Policy<\/a><\/div>\nOil shortages recently caused an 800% spike in phosphate prices… contributing to high food costs and worldwide riots<\/h2>\n
![\"Oil](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd8449d7f8b9a025fa60500-400-300\/oil-shortages-recently-caused-an-800-spike-in-phosphate-prices-contributing-to-high-food-costs-and-worldwide-riots.jpg\")
<\/div>\nPhosphate costs seven times more today than it did in 1960<\/h2>\n
![\"Phosphate](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd8641d7f8b9aeb12e10300-400-300\/phosphate-costs-seven-times-more-today-than-it-did-in-1960.jpg\")
<\/div>\nThe only option is massive industrial treatment of waste water to recover phosphorus.<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd879a37f8b9a8159c30b00-400-300\/the-only-option-is-massive-industrial-treatment-of-waste-water-to-recover-phosphorus.jpg\")
<\/div>\nAnd now, a brief history of phosphorus<\/h2>\n
![\"And](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bd856d77f8b9ac162f50000-400-300\/and-now-a-brief-history-of-phosphorus.jpg\")
<\/div>\nThis is why we have a phosphorus problem…<\/h2>\n
![\"This](\"http:\/\/static.businessinsider.com\/image\/4bb1e9e07f8b9a6b2a780100-400-300\/this-is-why-we-have-a-phosphorus-problem.jpg\")
<\/div>\n12 Charts On The Amazing History Of Human Economic Development<\/a><\/h2>\n
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