nutrient runnoff and algal blooms, dramas in china

[ppp]

Oh dear, this doesn't bode well.

http://www.theage.com.au/world/china-sends-flotilla-to-tackle-seaweed-20100708-10291.html

I'm guessing solutions might include reducing soil loss, reduced fertilizer usage, improving soils, swales, reduced monocropping.
Let us make this a discussion about solutions and ways forward

[eco4560]

Gee sounds like permaculture to me.

[Adam]

Oh dear, this doesn't bode well.

http://www.theage.com.au/world/china-sends-flotilla-to-tackle-seaweed-20100708-10291.html

I'm guessing solutions might include reducing soil loss, reduced fertilizer usage, improving soils, swales, reduced monocropping.
Let us make this a discussion about solutions and ways forward

Of course all those are good solutions. I think the solutions are quite clear, but the real problem is how to get people in China to implement them? The number one biggest agricultural problem in China has got to be chemical fertilizer use. It's not only that they use it, which is bad enough, but they overuse it tremendously (by an average of 40% more (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60D20T20100114) than is needed). Simply using about 40-50% less chemical fertilizer would go a long way toward easing the problems of these massive seaweed and algae blooms and soil acidification.

It's far from easy to change the habits of farmers who have become set in their ways, so it really is quite a challenge to try and work on this issue. The Chinese government's agricultural extension service really needs to be doing the job of educating the farmers about proper chemical fertilizer use and more sustainable agricultural practices. In tandem with the government, there needs to be a whole army of NGOs working to change Chinese agricultural practices in a more radical way by doing what the government would never do: the demonstration of permaculture methods and sustainable agriculture practices in order to ween them off of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and monocropping altogether.

[permasculptor]

This may just be a tipping point that forces the hand of the Chinese government to adopt sustainable practices, which I think they are far more capable of than our government or the american government.

[Tropical food forest]

dont worry about china
worry about yourself

china is already beating australia in all things environmnetal

- keeping pandas
- reserves
-replanting forests
-stabilising deserts
-building wind and solar power

if china can do it so can we

[ecodharmamark]

This may just be a tipping point that forces the hand of the Chinese government to adopt sustainable practices, which I think they are far more capable of than our government or the american government.

G'day permasculptor

Yes, I tend to agree. However China is a bit of a mixed-bag when it comes to past agricultural practices - some spectacular booms, and busts.

Mike Davis (2002) has written a brilliant article on the subject: The Origins of the Third World (http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/resource/origins-third-world)

Cheerio, Markos.