Natural Resources: Pollution's Unlikely Sources

Natural resources are the materials that we use to support our everyday lives, such as fresh water, agricultural products, and forestry products. However, our consumption of these resources has more than tripled since 1970, and this overconsumption is leading to climate breakdown and increased air pollution. For example, the use of reactive nitrogen compounds, such as ammonia and nitrogen oxides, in agriculture is a significant source of air pollution. This type of pollution can be deposited onto sensitive sites through direct contact with plants or by being dissolved in precipitation, which falls onto these sites. This pollution has major health, social, and economic impacts, especially for people living in poor countries, and can also lead to conflict and war.

Air pollution from nitrogen compounds, such as ammonia and nitrogen oxides

Natural resources are a major source of pollution. The most significant air pollution for our natural environment occurs when reactive nitrogen compounds, such as ammonia and nitrogen oxides, are deposited at sensitive sites. This type of pollution is called 'dry deposition' and it mostly happens close to pollution sources. Deposition also occurs when pollution is dissolved in precipitation (rain and snow), which falls onto sensitive sites. This is called 'wet deposition' and it can happen at long distances away from the pollution source.

Ammonia is the biggest contributor to nitrogen deposition. It comes from agricultural activities such as livestock housing, slurry/manure storage and spreading, and fertiliser use. Nitrogen oxides are also a significant contributor to air pollution. They are produced by the combustion of fossil fuels, such as in car engines and power plants.

The effects of air pollution from nitrogen compounds can be devastating for natural ecosystems. It can damage plant life, harm animal and insect life through the loss of their habitats, and destroy the biodiversity of the plant life on that land. This, in turn, can have major consequences for the life-supporting systems of food, water and air on which all living things on Earth depend.

In addition to the environmental impacts, air pollution from nitrogen compounds can also cause major health problems, especially for people living in poor countries. It can lead to respiratory issues, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses. The socio-economic impacts of air pollution are also significant, with unsustainable consumption and production worsening inequality and threatening livelihoods, especially for farmers.

To address the root causes of air pollution from nitrogen compounds, we need to move away from a linear economy, which is fueled by large amounts of cheap, accessible energy and other resources, and produces goods that are designed to be disposable. Instead, we should promote a circular economy, where industrial and natural resource-based production systems are restorative and regenerative by intention. This involves resource efficiency, sustainable markets, and eco-industrial parks.

Water pollution from unsustainable consumption and production

The demand for food with high environmental footprints, such as meat from industrial farms, is contributing to unsustainable agricultural intensification and water-quality degradation. Chicken consumption is also unsustainable because of the high levels of water usage needed to produce chickens in industrial farming systems. Antibiotics used in chicken farming can also have a detrimental effect on human health and increase the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The amount of foreign land that countries like the UK depend on to support their annual consumption of agricultural and forestry products also puts pressure on freshwater resources. The production of commodities and energy for an increasing global population is another factor.

The current levels of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from agriculture may already exceed the globally sustainable limits. Global fertiliser use is projected to increase from around 90 million tons in 2000 to more than 150 million tons by 2050. Intensified biofuel production will lead to high nitrogen fertiliser consumption.

Water pollution is an increasing global concern that damages economic growth and the health of billions of people. It is a major cause of conflict and war, which can jeopardise human rights, further damage the environment, destroy livelihoods and harm human health.

Land pollution from agricultural activities, such as livestock housing and fertiliser use

Natural resources are often used to fuel the dominant "take, make, waste" linear economy, which produces goods that are designed to be disposable. This type of economy has led to overconsumption, which worsens climate breakdown and increases air pollution.

To prevent pollution from agricultural activities, it is important to carefully plan all storage and handling arrangements for livestock slurries and manures, animal feedstuffs, silage effluent, agricultural fuel oil, dirty water, fertilisers, veterinary medicines, pesticides and other chemicals on farms. It is also crucial to distance potentially polluting farming activities from watercourses by using buffer strips, such as grass or woodland strips.

Loss of biodiversity and habitats due to pollution

Natural resources can be a source of pollution in a number of ways. For example, the use of natural resources such as fossil fuels can lead to air pollution, which can have a significant impact on the natural environment. This occurs when reactive nitrogen compounds, such as ammonia and nitrogen oxides, are deposited onto sensitive sites through 'dry deposition' (direct contact with plants) or 'wet deposition' (dissolved in precipitation). Agriculture is a major contributor to nitrogen deposition, with activities such as livestock housing and fertiliser use releasing large amounts of ammonia into the atmosphere.

Overconsumption of natural resources is another factor that contributes to pollution. From 1970 to 2010, our natural resource consumption more than tripled, leading to increased air pollution and a breakdown of the planet's life support systems, such as those that provide us with fresh water. This overconsumption is driven by a linear economy, where goods are designed to be disposable and cheap, accessible energy and resources are abundant.

The loss of biodiversity and habitats due to pollution is a significant issue. Pollution can destroy plant life, harm animal and insect life, and disrupt the life-supporting systems of food, water, and air that all living things depend on. This can have socio-economic impacts, threatening livelihoods, causing food and economic insecurity, and leading to conflicts and wars that further damage the environment and harm human health.

To address the root causes of pollution, a shift towards a circular economy is necessary. This involves redesigning industrial and natural resource-based production systems to be restorative and regenerative, promoting resource efficiency, and sustainable markets in sectors such as agriculture and construction. By tackling the root causes of pollution, we can help preserve biodiversity and habitats, ensuring the long-term health of our planet and all its inhabitants.

Climate breakdown from overconsumption of natural resources

Overconsumption of natural resources is a major contributor to climate breakdown. From 1970 to 2010, our natural resource consumption more than tripled, and this overconsumption has severe consequences for the planet's life support systems. It exhausts our supply of fresh water, and leaves us short of materials critical to our health and quality of life.

The dominant "take, make, waste" linear economy is a major driver of overconsumption and pollution. This economy is fuelled by large amounts of cheap, accessible energy and other resources, and it produces goods that are designed to be disposable. As a result, traditional air, water and land-based pollution has become a significant issue, with clean-up efforts often tackling the problem after the fact rather than addressing its root causes.

One of the most significant forms of pollution is air pollution, which can occur when reactive nitrogen compounds, such as ammonia and nitrogen oxides, are deposited onto sensitive sites. This deposition can happen through direct contact between polluted air and plants ("dry deposition") or when pollution is dissolved in precipitation and falls onto sensitive sites ("wet deposition"). Ammonia, which comes from agricultural activities such as livestock housing and fertiliser use, is a major contributor to nitrogen deposition.

The loss of natural resources and environmental damage can also threaten livelihoods, especially for farmers, leading to food and economic insecurity, as well as nutritional issues. Additionally, the loss of biodiversity due to overconsumption of natural resources harms animal and insect life through the loss of their habitats, further damaging the life-supporting systems of food, water and air on which all living things depend.

Frequently asked questions