Optimizing air quality management in Europe and North America: Justification for integrated management of both oxidized and reduced forms of nitrogen

No nutrient element is more important than nitrogen in governing the develo pment of living organisms and in determining the pollution climate of the e arth. So far, the processes of enhancing agricultural and forest production and making pollution-control adjustments in the industrial, commercial, ag ricultural, and transportation systems of society have proceeded in more or less complete isolation from concern about the environmental consequences of human alterations in the nitrogen cycle of the earth. Also, most polluti on abatement and mitigation strategies have so far been aimed at resolving one or another particular societal pollution problem in which oxidized and reduced forms of nitrogen play a part. The time has come to consider altern ative, more fully integrated strategies and tactics by which to optimize so cietal efforts to maintain or increase agricultural and forest production w hile also enhancing the effectiveness and decreasing the cost of abating or mitigating various nitrogen-induced aspects of soil-, air-, and water poll ution. In this paper we explore three general ideas: (1) some important sim ilarities and differences in agriculture, forestry, and industry in the Net herlands and North Carolina and what they mean for nitrogen pollution manag ement in our two home societies, (2) justification for adopting a "total fi xed nitrogen approach" rather than continuing to deal with oxidized and red uced forms of nitrogen separately, and (3) developing a "concept of optimum nitrogen management for society".