Artificial Fertilizers good, organic manure bad?

[Colin Miles]

There is a suggestion that artificial fertilizers may help with the greenhouse effect by reducing the amount of methane (20 times more powerful than CO2) in the atmosphere and by encouraging some bacteria that live in the soil to consume methane.

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14476389
[/url]

But the other suggestion in that report comes to a different conclusion, so you pay your money and believe - well, maybe neither. Facts or preconceived notions, or just non-peer reviewed bad science?

[Nature's Babe]

I am just curious as to why you describe it as organic manure Colin? It could be organic or non-organic manure surely? Indeed one can be organic and vegan, not involving animals at all in the cycle, and soil can still be sustainably fertile without polluting air or water. The ecological problems often come down to methods of farming or gardening rather than whether it is organic or chemical. There are methods of obtaining green electricity from organic/ non organic manure -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-14230227
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/7177652.stm
Although artificial fertilisers may produce less methane, they do leach into our waterways causing pollution there, eventually reaching the oceans and causing huge problematical algal blooms, also polluting our driinking water supply, so it pays to take a wide view and consider all aspects.I suspect there are no easy answers we need to keep an open mind and look all the way down the line at the spin offs and consequences of all our activities

[solway cropper]

As NB says, the methane is just one aspect of the problem. Chemical fertilizers may produce much less methane but if their production generates twenty times more carbon dioxide you've gained nothing. Most of my compost/fertilizer is produced 'in-house' from waste materials which will rot down whether or not I choose to make use of them. No air miles, road miles and nothing which wouldn't have happened anyway.

[Nature's Babe]

Hello Solway Cropper, a warm welcome to the forum. Like you I compost all I can, and often let stuff return to the soil where it grew.

[solway cropper]

Thanks for the welcome NB. Compost is a subject dear to my heart (not the sort of thing one should admit to in polite circles!)

I'm lucky in living by the sea so I can collect as much seaweed as I like and this has given me fantastic crops over the last few years. I really can't understand why people who grow their own would need to even consider chemical fertilizers. Admittedly it takes more effort to make your own but as they say up north: you don't get owt for nowt.

see what I've been up to at:
http://therecycledgardener.blogspot.com/

[Nature's Babe]

I enjoyed reading your blog Colin, I live near the sea too but in the south east, I agree seaweed is great for the garden. We had a long drought too, getting some rain at last now when the outdoor tomatoes are ready to ripen. I have found a method of growing that helps ride the droughts and deluges.