From fertiliser to Zyklon B: 100 years of the scientific discovery that brought life and death

[dipsydoodle]

Several hundred scientists from across the globe will gather in Ludwigshafen, Germany, next week to discuss a simple topic: "A hundred years of the synthesis of ammonia." As titles go, it is scarcely a grabber. Yet the subject could hardly be of greater importance, for the gathering on 11 November will focus on the centenary of an industrial process that has transformed our planet and threatens to bring even greater, more dramatic changes over the next 100 years.

The ammonia process – which uses nitrogen from the atmosphere as its key ingredient – was invented by German chemist Fritz Haber to solve a problem that faced farmers across the globe. By the early 20th century they were running out of natural fertilisers for their crops. The Haber plant at Ludwigshafen, run by the chemical giant BASF, transformed that grim picture exactly 100 years ago – by churning out ammonia in industrial quantities for the first time, triggering a green revolution. Several billion people are alive today only because Haber found a way to turn atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia fertiliser. "Bread from air," ran the slogan that advertised his work at the time.

But there is another, far darker side to the history of the Haber process. By providing Germany with an industrial source of ammonia, the country was able to extend its fight in the first world war by more than a year, it is estimated. Britain's sea blockade would have ensured Germany quickly ran out of natural fertilisers for its crops. In addition, Germany would also have run out of nitrogen compounds, such as saltpetre, for its explosives. The Haber process met both demands. Trains, bursting with Haber-based explosives and scrawled with "Death to the French", were soon chugging to the front, lengthening the war and Europe's suffering.

"If you look at the impact of the Haber process on the planet, you can see that it has been greater than any other discovery or industrial process over the past 100 years," said Professor Mark Sutton, of Edinburgh University. "On the positive side, there are the billions of people who are alive today thanks to it. Without it, there would have been no food for them. On the other hand, there are all the environmental impacts that a soaring world population, sustained by Haber fertilisers, have had. In addition, there is the pollution triggered by the release of ammonia fertilisers into water supplies across the globe and into the atmosphere.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/nov/03/fritz-haber-fertiliser-ammonia-centenary?guni=Keyword:news-grid%20main-1%20Main%20trailblock:Editable%20trailblock%20-%20news osition7

[fasttense]

1. We never put fertilizer on our garden

and we harvested almost $10,000 worth of produce off a 30x100 foot plot this year. Mostly from turnips, radishes (every kind) tomatillos, grape tomatoes, okra, mustard, collards and Kale. We do put compost on in spring and let some cover crops grow in late fall (we still have turnips, radishes and greens growing now) but we never put artificial fertilizers on our garden. The soil is not very rich, but it gets better every year.

I don't see the need for artificial fertilizers. AND I do NOT believe for ONE minute that the world was running out of natural fertilizers. Really? There were no animals manures from sheep, pigs, cattle, chickens or horses? There were no rotting wood chips or decaying straw? There were no barns to clean out. Then there is human waste and feces that can be used. China uses human feces a lot in their fertilizers now. NO the Germans and the rest of the world were NOT running out of fertilizer.

It's just much easier to use ammonia and it works easier with huge farm equipment. You don't have to wait for the ammonia to age like you do with manures and cover crops. Diluted, it can be sprayed right on the plants when manures could burn seedlings.

[NickB79]

3. Manure has to come from somewhere

The most powerful natural fertilizers are animal manures. To get animal manure, you need livestock. And, to raise livestock, you need to devote a fairly large portion of your land to growing food for the livestock. Pasture, hay for winter feed, some grains, etc. And to do so sustainably, you can't overstock your pastures and let them eat it to dirt. That means far less land to grow crops on, and while livestock does produce food, crops produce far more per acre. You can feed a lot more people with 100 acres of grain than you can with 50 acres of grain and 50 acres of pasture.

So, why do farmers raise livestock in the first place? In large part because millenia ago, farmers figured out they needed to use crops, rotation, and livestock to create balanced soils. Many soils can't produce for long with just crop rotation and green manures; animal manure was vital. With the introduction of artificial fertilizers, they were able to cut out a previously vital step and drastically boost the amount of land available for crops.

Also, it goes much better with the modernized, mechanical way of farming than the old, family farm style that is dying out. It's easier to farm 1,000 acres with simple-to-apply chemical fertilizers than with heavy, cumbersome composts. Even the Chinese, who pioneered the use of "night soils" and intensive farming, are rapidly switching over to the US way of industrialized farming

[jsr]

2. Great article.