The production of high yields of corn is dependent on the Haber-Bosch Process in which ammonia gas is produced from hydrogen gas and atmospheric nitrogen. Nitrogen is one of the most abundant elements in the atmosphere, but plants are unable to reap the benefits that nitrogen has to offer because of their inability to break the triple bonded diatomic molecule. This element has been found to promote plant growth and increase crop yield, but it is only of use when the triple covalent bond between the atoms is broken. Although nitrogen may be abundant, it can serve no benefit to plants in its elemental form. Unlike bacteria, plants cannot fixate atmospheric nitrogen into a usable compound. Plants must rely on an outside source for nitrogen. Long
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Both Bosch and Haber later joined companies that played an active role in war. Bosch worked for a company producing munitions for war, while Haber advocated the production and use of poisonous gases, like chlorine gas, for chemical warfare (“Haber-Bosch Controversy”). While both won Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, they played a significant role in the death of millions during World War I and II. The degree to which these two German chemists are praised is debated in the fields of science and history, but their impact on the world is undeniable. There are also many environmental concerns with the development of this process. Nitrogen fertilizers have been found responsible for pollution in many bodies of water as the fertilizers leak due to inefficiency in plant absorption of the nutrients (Smil). According to Professor Vaclav Smil of the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, plant inefficiencies can be over 70%. If the fertilizer is not absorbed by the plants, it is deposited back into the environment. This leads to the emission of greenhouse gases and the deposition of nitrates into the atmosphere (Smil). The impact of Carl Bosch and Fritz Haber on the world is indisputable, but the consequences of their advancement continue to affect
Both Bosch and Haber later joined companies that played an active role in war. Bosch worked for a company producing munitions for war, while Haber advocated the production and use of poisonous gases, like chlorine gas, for chemical warfare (“Haber-Bosch Controversy”). While both won Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, they played a significant role in the death of millions during World War I and II. The degree to which these two German chemists are praised is debated in the fields of science and history, but their impact on the world is undeniable. There are also many environmental concerns with the development of this process. Nitrogen fertilizers have been found responsible for pollution in many bodies of water as the fertilizers leak due to inefficiency in plant absorption of the nutrients (Smil). According to Professor Vaclav Smil of the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, plant inefficiencies can be over 70%. If the fertilizer is not absorbed by the plants, it is deposited back into the environment. This leads to the emission of greenhouse gases and the deposition of nitrates into the atmosphere (Smil). The impact of Carl Bosch and Fritz Haber on the world is indisputable, but the consequences of their advancement continue to affect