What Happens When Phosphorus Runs Out?

Phosphorus is underestimated.  We don’t talk about it enough - so here are some very cool facts about phosphorus.  It is a finite resource and there is no point looking for it elsewhere as it is very rare in the universe (not all stars create it and that’s why, some say, that alien life is proving elusive).  Phosphorus is the “unsung hero” in all life itself – it’s even in our DNA.  We get it from the food we eat, and the plants get it from the soil – it’s a cycle – but one which we managed to inhibit once we started living in cities and developed sanitation.  

Many scientists believe that we are going to run out of it this century.  It’s a crisis that will happen but what will we do about it?  Find out much more about this fascinating element than you probably ever wanted to, what happened when we discovered it and what the future might like without it in this fascinating short by BBC Earth Science.