Gulf of Mexico dead zone: bigger and deader than ever
According to scientists from the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, the "dead zone" off the coast of Louisiana and Texas might break records this year. This recurring swath of death is caused by pollution and agricultural runoff carried down the Mississippi river. Similar to the nasty algae situation in Beijing, all of the treated sewage and fertilizer runoff creates a huge algae bloom that sucks oxygen out of the water.During the blooms, sea life either dies or vacates the area -- an area that will be the size of New Jersey this year, thanks to flooding and increased corn production. One third of the US corn crop went into making ethanol this year, that's 4 million bushels. The increase in fertilizer is turning the mouth of the Mississippi into a giant soup of death. We already know that corn is one of the least efficient biofuel options. If we must use corn for fuel, it seems like a good time to re-think the way we cultivate it.
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