title: Beef and coal are key drivers of Australia's high nitrogen footprint.
abstract: Anthropogenic release of reactive nitrogen (Nr; all species of N except N2) to the global nitrogen (N) cycle is substantial and it negatively affects human and ecosystem health. A novel metric, the N footprint, provides a consumer-based perspective for Nr use efficiency and connects lifestyle choices with Nr losses. Here we report the first full-scale assessment of the anthropogenic Nr loss by Australians. Despite its 'clean and green' image, Australia has the largest N footprint (47 kg N cap-1yr-1) both in food and energy sectors among all countries that have used the N-Calculator model. About 69% of the Australia's N footprint is attributed to food consumption and the associated food production, with the rest from energy consumption. Beef consumption and production is the major contributor of the high food N footprint, while the heavy dependence on coal for electricity explains the large energy N footprint. Our study demonstrates opportunities for managing Nr loss and lifestyle choices to reduce the N footprint.
authors.affiliation: Crop and Soil Science Section, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources &Earth Systems Science and The Sustainability Institute, University of New Hampshire, 107 Nesmith Hall, 131 Main Street, Durham, NH, 03824, USA.
authors.forename: Allison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Clark Hall, 291 McCormick Road, P.O. Box 400123, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4123, USA.
authors.forename: James N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Galloway
authors.affiliation: Crop and Soil Science Section, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.|Department of Land Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China.
authors.forename: Baojing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Crop and Soil Science Section, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Shu Kee
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: Crop and Soil Science Section, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Deli
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D002417:Cattle; D003031:Coal; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D058458:Nitrogen Cycle; D000069466:Red Meat
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D009584:Nitrogen