"**The next two decades saw an eightfold increase of ammonia production to just over 30 million tons a year** as synthetic fertilizer enabled the Green Revolution (starting during the 1960s)—the adoption of new superior wheat and rice varieties that, when supplied with adequate nitrogen, produced unprecedented yields. The key innovations behind this rise were the use of natural gas as the source of hydrogen, and the introduction of efficient centrifugal compressors and better catalysts. ([Location 1666](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08SGC3TD3&location=1666)) --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[haber-bosch]], [[chemistry]], [[ammonia]], [[fossil-fuels]], [[hydrogen]], [[methane]] **Source** -- [[202412030828 - B - How the World Really Works]]