Key points The world has enough potassium to last several centuries Phosphorus supplies may run out

ut by the end of the century As last years oil price swings have shown, markets can tighten long before a given resource is anywhere near its end Reserves of phosphorus are even less evenly distributed than oils, raising additional supply concerns The U.S. is the worlds second-largest producer of phosphorus (after China), at 19 percent of the total, but 65 percent of that amount comes from a single source: pit mines near Tampa, Fla., which may not last more than a few decades Nearly 40 percent of global reserves are controlled by a single country, Morocco, sometimes referred to as the Saudi Arabia of phosphorus. Fertilizers take an environmental toll. Modern agricultural practices have tripled the natural rate of phosphorus depletion from the land, and excessive runoff into waterways is feeding uncontrolled algal blooms and throwing aquatic ecosystems off-kilter While little attention has been paid to it as compared with other elements such as carbon or nitrogen, phosphorus has become one of the most significant sustainability issues of our time Phosphorususually in the form of the phosphate ion PO43- - is an irreplaceable ingredient of life. It forms the backbone of DNA and of cellular membranes, and it is the crucial component in the molecule adenosine triphosphate, or ATPthe cells main form of energy storage An average human body contains about 650 grams of phosphorus, most of it in our bone Land ecosystems use and reuse phosphorus in local cycles an average of 46 times The mineral then, through weathering and runoff, makes its way into the ocean, where marine organisms may recycle it some 800 times before it passes into sediments The conditions for the vigorous growth of plants often boil down to three numbers, 1912-5 Those are the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, prominently displayed on every package of fertilizer In the 20th century the three nutrients enabled agriculture to increase its productivity and the worlds population to grow more than six fold Authors main point The author talks about how phosphors as a key resource for all living things. There is a prediction that all supplies of this element will run out by the end of this century. If this comes to be the number of humans and crops will drop catastrophically. Most of our simple crops are very cheap due to its method to make but these food consummations decrease the amount of nutrients to be restored into our lands. This decreases the amount of food production and lowers the chances of people getting food to eat even more. Reaction paragraph We as humans should really learn how to go with less. Yes. It goes on all the time go green, recycle, go plant a tree, be part of a community clean up. Thats great and all but its not hitting the source hard enough WE ALL AS HUMANS have to do something and go with less for the survival of our plant and ourselves also we want to leave a clean, straight, shining path way for our children to follow not one that is covered with filth, smog in the air, and disease

running around. It's pretty hard to maintain a global population without this element phosphorus is difficulty because it is simply necessary for all life to thrive.