As a sector, science must also be given a voice in nitrogen discussions with moderator Johann Remix, says Professor Han Lindebaum. Yesterday, Remix spoke with environmental organizations and the business community and the construction sector can have their say in the coming days. But the flag was not invited.
The whole nitrogen problem is complex and complex. There are new developments. I think it is much better to take a closer look at them together and that is not happening at all now, says University of Wageningen & Research Professor of Marine Ecology Lindeboom.
RIVM model error
The same scientist discovered an error in the RIVM model 2.5 years ago. Reasonably large amounts of ammonia are released from the sea. For Texel, this represents 25 percent of sedimentation. I’m a Navy professor and I know I can’t. There is no. That’s what I’m trying to bring up in the discussion, but the sitting professors ignore it. It would be nice to hear these kinds of noises as well. Because that’s, say, a large area of nitrogen, at least for farmers along the Dutch coast.
Solution
According to Lindeboom, by changing the cows’ feed and also taking measures in the barns, we can also significantly reduce nitrogen emissions from livestock. This can also be part of the final solution. We don’t like the current solution, which is to bring half of the farmers home.
Lindeboom continues: ‘We’ve written a couple of reports on this and we think we have a good story. I am worried. Who will serve our food in the end? And for our landscapes? It’s very easy to do, but I don’t think it will work. For now, Remix is sticking with current policy, but I thought he was there to consider other options as well.
Fossil fuels
According to Lindeboom, we currently have three main problems: nitrogen, water quality and especially climate. “We have to work hard with fossil fuels, everything has to be sustainable. The moment we make our cars and boats sustainable we will also get rid of the nitrogen problem from those engines. That sounds a lot better to me.”
Read also | Medium Remix Talks to Nature’s Regulators About Nitrogen
Lindeboom also emphasizes: “The way we look at nature and how the nitrogen problem occurs is not at all true. If you look closely in nature, you can find the hot spots of nitrogen effects very clearly. where is the problem? If you look at it, you can provide much better customization. We can figure it out easier by looking more closely at how nature actually works. She has a PhD in the nitrogen cycle in a penguin colony, a giant source of ammonia. There is a huge amount of ammonia in the air. It is raining next to the colony, making a lot of grass to grow, but no further than 500 meters from that colony. This results in a beautiful area that also contains all kinds of nature. It’s only downwind of those penguins and they’ve been around for 1,000 years, so people have to look at nitrogen and nature differently.
Read also | Nature organizations don’t want to negotiate with Remkes
