Comments on: Another Food Supply Worry: Peak Phosphorus? http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak.html Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:58:35 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: stefanx http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak.html#comment-9982 stefanx Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:34:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak-phosphorus/#comment-9982 The brilliant eco-philospher Paul Shepard ("Coming Home to the Pleistocene") wrote an essay once called "The Corvidean Millennium; or, Letter from an Old Crow" where he pointed out how stupid humans were for burying their dead in caskets - which prevented the phosphorus in our bones from being recycled back into the environment. The brilliant eco-philospher Paul Shepard (”Coming Home to the Pleistocene”) wrote an essay once called “The Corvidean Millennium; or, Letter from an Old Crow” where he pointed out how stupid humans were for burying their dead in caskets – which prevented the phosphorus in our bones from being recycled back into the environment.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak.html#comment-9974 Anonymous Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:30:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak-phosphorus/#comment-9974 Interesting piece. I would also point you to this piece, "Peak Phosphorus" at The Oil Drum last year:<br/><br/>http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2882<br/><br/>Makes a few other interesting points. Interesting piece. I would also point you to this piece, “Peak Phosphorus” at The Oil Drum last year:

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2882

Makes a few other interesting points.

]]> By: dearieme http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak.html#comment-9965 dearieme Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:23:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak-phosphorus/#comment-9965 Last thing of an evening, gentlemen, pootle down the garden and pee on your compost heap. Easy peasy. Last thing of an evening, gentlemen, pootle down the garden and pee on your compost heap. Easy peasy.

]]> By: Dan Duncan http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak.html#comment-9964 Dan Duncan Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:22:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak-phosphorus/#comment-9964 Straight from the USGS:<br/><br/>"U.S. phosphate rock production and use dropped to 40-year lows in 2006 owing to a combination of mine and fertilizer plant closures and lower export sales of phosphate fertilizers. China has surpassed the United States as the largest phosphate rock producer. Since late 2005, two phosphate rock mines and four fertilizer plants were closed permanently and one mine was temporarily closed. Additionally, the leading U.S. producer closed its four active mines for 1 month in 2006 to reduce inventories of phosphate rock. Because of the decreased level of phosphoric acid production in 2006, consumption of phosphate rock fell to a 30-year low. Domestic phosphate rock annual production capacity fell to under 35 million tons in 2006, the lowest level since 1969."<br/><br/>Closing plants to reduce inventories...while at the same time "we are running out of it"??<br/><br/>Good night. I hope Xanax doesn't have any traces of Phosphorus...or Nitrogen (another "worry")...or Carbon ("not a carbon-based anti-anxiety pill!")....hell, let's just hope it isn't comprised of any of the periodic elements...becaue we are going to need A LOT of it to calm all these frayed nerves. Straight from the USGS:

“U.S. phosphate rock production and use dropped to 40-year lows in 2006 owing to a combination of mine and fertilizer plant closures and lower export sales of phosphate fertilizers. China has surpassed the United States as the largest phosphate rock producer. Since late 2005, two phosphate rock mines and four fertilizer plants were closed permanently and one mine was temporarily closed. Additionally, the leading U.S. producer closed its four active mines for 1 month in 2006 to reduce inventories of phosphate rock. Because of the decreased level of phosphoric acid production in 2006, consumption of phosphate rock fell to a 30-year low. Domestic phosphate rock annual production capacity fell to under 35 million tons in 2006, the lowest level since 1969.”

Closing plants to reduce inventories…while at the same time “we are running out of it”??

Good night. I hope Xanax doesn’t have any traces of Phosphorus…or Nitrogen (another “worry”)…or Carbon (”not a carbon-based anti-anxiety pill!”)….hell, let’s just hope it isn’t comprised of any of the periodic elements…becaue we are going to need A LOT of it to calm all these frayed nerves.

]]> By: gaddeswarup http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak.html#comment-9933 gaddeswarup Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:10:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak-phosphorus/#comment-9933 There is SRI which seems to be taking some hold in several countries:<br/>http://www.ciifad.cornell.edu/sri/<br/>It is not a uniform method, labour intensive, at least to begin with, and has weed and pest problems. But it needs less fertilizer and water. IRRI does not seem to be enthusiastic about it, but combined trials are planned. Most seem to agree that it worked well in Madagascar. There is SRI which seems to be taking some hold in several countries:
http://www.ciifad.cornell.edu/sri/
It is not a uniform method, labour intensive, at least to begin with, and has weed and pest problems. But it needs less fertilizer and water. IRRI does not seem to be enthusiastic about it, but combined trials are planned. Most seem to agree that it worked well in Madagascar.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak.html#comment-9926 Anonymous Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:52:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak-phosphorus/#comment-9926 Ah yes,more phosphorus for our sweet Cola sugar drinks and more secondary osteoporosis from depleted calcium reserves that fail to buffer the acidity from this addictive trash!<br/><br/>I hope everyone on wall street is sucking this stuff down as fast as possible in large quantities! Ah yes,more phosphorus for our sweet Cola sugar drinks and more secondary osteoporosis from depleted calcium reserves that fail to buffer the acidity from this addictive trash!

I hope everyone on wall street is sucking this stuff down as fast as possible in large quantities!

]]> By: François http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak.html#comment-9925 François Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:36:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak-phosphorus/#comment-9925 In this case as in a couple of other "so-genannte" shortages, the markets cope more with plentiful money supply than with scarce resources.<br/><br/>The ability to deliver money supply has never been so great... It will take a couple of years for the average Joe and one's Chinese counterpart to understand what monetary inflation means. But sure they will. In this case as in a couple of other “so-genannte” shortages, the markets cope more with plentiful money supply than with scarce resources.

The ability to deliver money supply has never been so great… It will take a couple of years for the average Joe and one’s Chinese counterpart to understand what monetary inflation means. But sure they will.

]]> By: ddt http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak.html#comment-9924 ddt Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:33:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak-phosphorus/#comment-9924 I found this article really interesting, but after poking around a few phosphorus sites, it seems that it is alarmist and poorly researched. I call bullshit.<br/><br/>There are phosphorus reserves all over the world that will easily last 100s of years and have yet to be touched, in Florida, Morrocco, Mongolia, China, Russia and many many other countries.<br/><br/>The problem right now is not a shortage of phosphorus, but a shortage of infrastructure for mining, processing and transporting phosphorus to meet rapidly rising demand. There is plenty in the ground.<br/><br/>Maybe one day it will be a problem, but right now America is still the world's largest producer, and reserves throughout the world have yet to be developed, let alone depleted. Claiming peak phosphorus now is kind of like claiming that we were at peak oil the first time a well went dry in Texas, and before anyone had even bothered drilling in the middle east. I found this article really interesting, but after poking around a few phosphorus sites, it seems that it is alarmist and poorly researched. I call bullshit.

There are phosphorus reserves all over the world that will easily last 100s of years and have yet to be touched, in Florida, Morrocco, Mongolia, China, Russia and many many other countries.

The problem right now is not a shortage of phosphorus, but a shortage of infrastructure for mining, processing and transporting phosphorus to meet rapidly rising demand. There is plenty in the ground.

Maybe one day it will be a problem, but right now America is still the world’s largest producer, and reserves throughout the world have yet to be developed, let alone depleted. Claiming peak phosphorus now is kind of like claiming that we were at peak oil the first time a well went dry in Texas, and before anyone had even bothered drilling in the middle east.

]]> By: ddt http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak.html#comment-9923 ddt Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:05:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak-phosphorus/#comment-9923 hmm according to wikipedia and the New Scientist:<br/><br/>"At today's rate of consumption, the supply of phosphorus is estimated to run out in 345 years.[12]"<br/><br/>"How Long Will it Last?" (May 26, 2007). New Scientist 194 (2605): 38–39. ISSN 4079 0262 4079<br/>http://environment.newscientist.com/data/images/archive/2605/26051202.jpg<br/><br/>Earth's natural wealth: an audit<br/>http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg19426051.200-earths-natural-wealth-an-audit.html hmm according to wikipedia and the New Scientist:

“At today’s rate of consumption, the supply of phosphorus is estimated to run out in 345 years.[12]“

“How Long Will it Last?” (May 26, 2007). New Scientist 194 (2605): 38–39. ISSN 4079 0262 4079
http://environment.newscientist.com/data/images/archive/2605/26051202.jpg

Earth’s natural wealth: an audit
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg19426051.200-earths-natural-wealth-an-audit.html

]]> By: ddt http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak.html#comment-9922 ddt Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:56:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/06/another-food-supply-worry-peak-phosphorus/#comment-9922 anyone here remember reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley?<br/><br/>In the novel phosphorous is scarce and is harvested from cremated remains. It always stuck out in my mind as one of the odder predictions in science fiction, but I guess Huxley might have just been prescient. anyone here remember reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley?

In the novel phosphorous is scarce and is harvested from cremated remains. It always stuck out in my mind as one of the odder predictions in science fiction, but I guess Huxley might have just been prescient.

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