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James Galloway, Ph.D., professor in environmental science at the University of Virginia, was awarded the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, ?EUR??,,????'?????<????????the premier award for environmental science, energy and medicine conferring great benefit upon mankind.?EUR??,,????'?????<???????? Galloway was honored for developing the concept of the ?EUR??,,????'?????<????????nitrogen cascade,?EUR??,,????'?????<???????? which ?EUR??,,????'?????<????????describe(s) the impacts of fertilizer and fossil fuel byproducts?EUR??,,????'?????<???????? on the environment.
Inert or non-reactive nitrogen makes up about 78 percent of the earth?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????EUR??,,??s atmosphere and about 3 percent of the human body. However, human beings have converted that non-reactive nitrogen to reactive nitrogen (for example, ammonia), mainly for fertilizers and fuels. Reactive nitrogen, the source of the problems described by the nitrogen cascade, is being added to the environment at an alarming rate. In 2005, approximately 187 million metric tons of nitrogen were emitted worldwide, up from 156 million in 1995.
Galloway describes the nitrogen cascade as the journey of a single atom of nitrogen through the environment. That single atom causes ?EUR??,,????'?????<????????a cascading sequence of events?EUR??,,????'?????<???????? that harms the environment. In Galloway?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????EUR??,,??s scenario, the atom starts its journey as a component of exhaust from a single automobile. The atom is released into the atmosphere, where it becomes smog. The atom is then deposited in the forest as nitric acid, which may harm or kill plants and acidifies the soil. Carried to a river, the atom may harm or kill fish and insects and makes its way to the ocean, where it can cause red algae or dead zones, and is ultimately released into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas that depletes the ozone.
In an interview Galloway explains the nitrogen footprint: ?EUR??,,????'?????<????????My footprint is controlled in part by how much fossil fuel I burn to heat my house, the kind of foods I eat and where they came from, and what I do with my waste.?EUR??,,????'?????<????????
Galloway is currently developing a nitrogen footprint calculator so that individuals will be able to calculate the impact of their nitrogen use on the environment.
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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