News stories abound regarding a US energy crises and global warming from the release of gases such as carbon dioxide. However, an important player in both energy production and possible climate altering emissions often fails to be mentioned: Nitrogen.
The Second International Nitrogen Conference, N2001, will help remedy this oversight as scientists, policy makers, researchers and industry leaders gather to discuss nitrogen's current role in the environment. Organized by several national and international organizations, N2001 will be held at the Bolger Conference Center in Potomac, Maryland, USA, October 14-18, 2001.
What better way to learn about the complexities of nitrogen pollution than through a game. "Nitrogenius," also known as the "N Game," is described by its creators as a "decision support system."
The game is designed to illustrate in a simple way the complex relations within the nitrogen pollution situation. Combining agriculture, industrial and transportation influences, the game aims to improve understanding of nitrogen's movement in the environment.
"Nitrogenius" allows players to search for an optimal policy which reduces pollution while maintaining the lowest costs with the fewest negative impacts on society. The game is based on conditions existing in the Netherlands, which has one of the highest densities of nitrogen emissions in the world.
On Sunday, October 14, Jan Willem Erisman of the Energy Research Center of the Netherlands and his colleagues will describe the game and its background. The first full session of "Nitrogenius" will be played on Monday, October 15th. Several sessions of the game will occur throughout the week, with the outcome of these sessions to be discussed at the end of the conference.
On Wednesday, October 17, Michael Bradley of M.J. Bradley and Associates, Inc. will present a talk entitled "Reducing Global Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Emissions: Encouraging the Development of Adv
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Contact: Nadine Lymn
Nadine@esa.org
202-833-8773
Ecological Society of America
31-Aug-2001