Nitrous oxide: definitely no laughing matterFebruary 19, 2008Farmers, food suppliers, policy-makers, business leaders and environmentalists are joining forces to confront the threat of the 'forgotten greenhouse gas' by taking part in an influential new forum at the University of East Anglia (UEA). Launched on February 22, the Nitrous Oxide Focus Group will engage with many influential organisations including the National Farmers Union, Marks & Spencer, British Sugar, Defra, the Country Land and Business Association and Unilever. The group will present and explore cutting edge research into the sources and sinks of nitrous oxide in the environment and discuss the prospects of mitigating the release of this destructive gas through re-shaping current policies and practice. "People are becoming increasingly concerned about the immense problems associated with the unregulated release of this potent greenhouse gas," said Prof David Richardson, Dean of the Faculty of Science at UEA and co-ordinator of the Nitrous Oxide Focus Group. "It is very encouraging that so many key figures from agriculture, industry and government are interested in mitigating nitrous oxide emissions by learning more about key research questions that are currently being addressed with government funding by groups within UEA, along with collaborating research groups across the UK and Europe." Better known as 'laughing gas', nitrous oxide (N2O) accounts for 9 per cent of all greenhouse gases, yet is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2). As a result its longevity in the atmosphere provides a potentially more damaging legacy than CO2. Agriculture accounts for around 70 per cent of N2O emissions. The sources are mainly from soil micro-organisms that make N2O from nitrogen-rich fertilisers added to soils to maximise crop yields. Other significant biological sources of N2O come from the wastewater treatment industries where the greenhouse gas is again produced from micro-organisms. The launch of the new consortium is underpinned by more than five years of interdisciplinary research at UEA and comes as significant new research on an N2O-generating enzyme from a widespread soil bacterium is published. University of East Anglia |
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| Related Nitrous Oxide Current Events and Nitrous Oxide News Articles Health care accounts for 8 percent of US carbon footprint The American health care sector accounts for nearly a tenth of the country's carbon dioxide emissions, according to a first-of-its-kind calculation of health care's carbon footprint. Denitrification, its importance once diluted, may be back on top, Princeton-led team says After more than a decade of inquiry, a Princeton-led team of scientists has turned the tables on a long-standing controversy to re-establish an old truth about nitrogen mixing in the oceans. NOAA study shows nitrous oxide now top ozone-depleting emission Nitrous oxide has now become the largest ozone-depleting substance emitted through human activities, and is expected to remain the largest throughout the 21st century, NOAA scientists say in a new study. Mayo researchers find link between anesthesia exposure and learning disabilities in children Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children who require multiple surgeries under anesthesia during their first three years of life are at higher risk of developing learning disabilities later. Wenchuan earthquake mudslides emit greenhouse gas Mudslides that followed the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan, China earthquake, ranked by the US Geological Survey as the 11th deadliest earthquake ever recorded, may cause a carbon-dioxide release in upcoming decades equivalent to two percent of current annual global carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion, a new study shows. People are more suggestible under laughing gas The pain-relieving effects of nitrous oxide - laughing gas - may be enhanced by suggestion or hypnosis, according to a new study by UCL (University College London). The study's findings - that people are more suggestible under the gas - mean that dental patients may benefit from being coached to relax while undergoing sedation. ASU professor 'follows the elements' to understand evolution in ancient oceans In the search for life beyond Earth, scientists 'follow the water' to find places that might be hospitable. However, every home gardener knows that plants need more than water, or even sunshine. Managing Carbon Loss As the United States continues to develop alternative energy methods and push towards energy independence, cellulosic-based ethanol has emerged as one of the most commercially viable technologies. Nitrous Oxide Emissions Respond Differently to No-Till Depending on the Soil Type The practice of no-till has increased considerably during the past 20 yr. The absence of tillage coupled with the accumulation of crop residues at the soil surface modifies several soil properties but also influence nitrogen dynamics. Oklahoma researchers support biodiversity in biofuels production U.S. and European mandates for subsidies of cellulosic ethanol production and use have uncertain environmental consequences according to an international group of scientists which includes researchers from the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. More Nitrous Oxide Current Events and Nitrous Oxide News Articles |
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