A brief, explosive history of man-made fertilizer

By EmmaZahn on Sat, 04/20/2013 - 1:45pm |

Today we are more likely to associate fertilizer explosions with intentional acts of terror, from the high profile events in Oklahoma City and Oslo to the countless daily acts of violence across the Middle East. And yet, the expansion of the fertilizer industry over the last one hundred years has also led to a number of unintentional catastrophic explosions similar to the occurrence in West, Texas this week. As the small Central Texas community regroups after this tragic event and investigators seek its cause, it is worth reflecting on some of the inflammatory consequences of a volatile commodity that we cannot live without.

URL:

http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/political-insider/2013/apr/19/explosive-history-man-made-fertilizer/