1st off i made a mistake (from memory of reading the article) i said it was bigger in 2004, but it was 2002 instead.
another thing is that, contray to DA, view it is already being worked on. its not shortsighted at all.
Federal environmental officials are quite aware of the role Midwestern nitrogen plays in creating the dead zone. In January the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented Congress an "action plan" for resuscitating the gulf by 2015. The proposed $15 billion plan calls for funding research that tracks the flow of nitrogen in the basin. It would also support incentive-based programs for getting farmers and other landowners to reduce the amount of nitrogen they send south by 30 percent.
we just did not realise 40 years ago when the amount of nitrates that hit the gulf was only half what it is now, that there was such a big amount of damage. Now that we are aware of it, were likely to be able to do more about it. It will just take time and money.
i wonder if there is any way they can find a sea plant that will thrive in the low oxigen conditions of summer and still be in good shape in the high oxigen (relatively speaking) of winter.
