User:Sophia Rosado/sandbox

Nutrient Pollution as a Wicked Problem
Nutrient pollution is considered a wicked problem because of the many significant economic, social, and environmental impacts that are caused by multiple pollutants originating from a variety of sources. What makes nutrient pollution a difficult problem is the scale, being a global, rural, and urban issue. Nutrient pollution is also considered a wicked problem because of conflicting interpretations of the problem and science, stakeholders having different values and goals, and there being no consensus on a solution.

Nutrient pollution is a form of water pollution, where there is an excess amount of nutrients, usually in the form of phosphorus and nitrogen. These two nutrients occur naturally in soil and water, but at higher levels may cause an excess of algae growth (algal blooms) in bodies of water that affect the ecosystem. These algal blooms can eliminate the oxygen in a body of water, known as hypoxia, a condition that kills nearly all aquatic life. These areas of hypoxia in bodies of water are also known as dead-zones.

Lake Erie, Ohio
Harmful algal blooms in the Western Lake Erie Basin, caused by increased nutrient pollution, can be considered a wicked problem. The algal bloom is connected to many different sources, including water treatment plants, combined sewer overflows, surface and subsurface farm field losses, increased rainfall intensities, aquatic invasive species, and vitality of the fishing, boating, and birding industries. These sources make it difficult for stakeholders and decision makers to find a consensus on the problem, as there are many point and non point sources of pollution. One of the biggest issues is agricultural water runoff because of the use of fertilizers containing levels of phosphorus and nitrogen. Stakeholders and decision makers are developing a framework to improve water quality, enhance environmental protection, and improve and manage the use of fertilizers to increase profitability and maintain sustainability of the lakes and natural resources, and to overcome this wicked problem.

The Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is an extreme example of nutrient pollution, having one of the largest dead-zones in the world. Similar to Lake Erie, the sources of pollution that cause this dead-zone come from lawns, sewage treatment plants, and farmland. This can also be considered a wicked problem because of how important the use of farmland and nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen are for agricultural purposes, yet finding a solution will require a global, human-wide and industry-wide approach involving all stakeholders.