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The Stockholm Resilience Center created a report about "The nine planetary boundaries". In it, they claim that Nitrogen and phosphorus flows to the biosphere and oceans are very strongly over the planetary boundary and thus very dangerous.

How dangerous is it to have those flows at current levels? In what kind of timeframe do we see damage if we don't stop the problem?

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  • $\begingroup$ Have a look at the Baltic Sea. There the damage is already done and increasing. Sure, it would take a lot more inflow and time for the whole ocean to topple, but since we know shit about the oceans, we don't know, when they will topple. Could be 100 years, could be 10. $\endgroup$
    – Erik
    Commented Mar 21, 2022 at 8:46

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Eutrophication is an issue...namely because of red tides, algal blooms and anoxic water.... However practical solutions. However influxes of fertilizer is often dealt with. For decades scientists have been investigating healthier and smarter alternatives to conventional wastewater treatment systems and agricultural runoffs. Dr. John Todd developed bioremediation systems, "Living Machines" where solar dynamics, water dilution and organic waste handling. Now, Small towns; instead of being dumping grounds for big city waste, they can produce valuable products (Plants, flowers, fruits, fish, clams, oysters)

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I can think of two separate answers.

‏Eutrophication is one of the most prominent pollution causes in the marine and riparian environments. It leads to anoxia and suffocation save of complete habitats ‏and caused by axis nitrogen and phosphorus.

Unlike nitrogen, phosphorus is scarce. Many think that we might run out and when we do, we will not be able to grow enough crops to sustain the population.

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    $\begingroup$ What is saphocation? Did yo mean suffocation? $\endgroup$
    – Fred
    Commented Mar 17, 2022 at 19:52
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    $\begingroup$ the risk of running out of phosphorus is about as high as running out of seawater,seaweed has been used to add phosphorus to soil for hundreds of years. $\endgroup$
    – trond hansen
    Commented Mar 18, 2022 at 5:41
  • $\begingroup$ Theanks Fred. And as for running out of Phosphorus, its not that simple, lokk at google scholar for the broken phosphorus cycle. $\endgroup$
    – yair suari
    Commented Mar 18, 2022 at 22:27

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