The growing use of nitrogen fertilizers in the production of food worldwide is increasing atmospheric concentrations of N2O — a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) that remains in the atmosphere for more than 100 years. The study points to an alarming trend affecting climate change: N2O has risen 20 per cent from pre-industrial levels — from 270 parts per billion (ppb) in 1750 to 331ppb in 2018 — with the fastest growth observed in the last 50 years due to emissions from human activities.
— source University of East Anglia | Oct 7, 2020