SP w9 nitrogen and a artist project with fine dust

In the Netherlands we have a major problem with nitrogen at the moment; we do not comply with the European directives and therefore a judge has determined that construction projects may no longer be completed.

78% of the air consists of nitrogen and we also breathe nitrogen in and out. The nitrogen that causes a problem is the reactive nitrogen. This is a compound of nitrogen with other substances such as oxygen = nitrogen oxide. This happens when burning fossil fuels such as in traffic or in industry.

Nitrogen combined with hydrogen gives amonia, and that is in fertilizer that is used to produce more and faster food. The Netherlands is very densely populated. As a result, we produce too much pure nitrogen, which is at the expense of nature. To prevent this, nitrogen emissions must be halved. Due to the excess nitrogen, certain plants grow more than others, while other plants disappear. This creates a monoculture. This has consequences for butterflies, bees and insects and the animals that in turn depend on them. Effects are the acidification of the soil but also that people have more allergies and suffer from respiratory tract.

Reactive nitrogen gives even more problems, so it is a greenhouse gas that affects the ozone layer and pollutes the water. It therefore contributes to climate change. Currently, the highest court has intervened by stopping construction projects. The speed on the roads must be reduced, there must be fewer farmers and more measures must be taken.

A dish colored with fine dust

The artists Iris de Kievith and Annemarie Piscaer thought it was time to do something about the increasing air pollution. With the fine dust that we breathe in every day, they color crockery! Along the busy traffic roads of Rotterdam they collect the fabrics to process them in the signs and cups. The different colors represent the time that a Rotterdam particulate matter has inhaled. The first cup or plate stands for ten years, the rest for 25, 45, 65 and 85. The color differences speak for themselves; the more years, the darker the dishes! In the movie you can see the proces (One of them is teaching my daughter at the art academy).