The Devil’s Element

Author Dan Egan shares one of the most perilous environmental issues of our time

By Ren Brabenec | March 4, 2023

Dan Egan, a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the author of New York Times bestseller The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, will take the stage at the City Opera House in Traverse City March 10 for an event in partnership with the National Writers Series and the International Affairs Forum.

The topic of discussion? What Egan calls the “devil’s element:” phosphorus.

Food and Fertilizer

Phosphorus is commonly used in fertilizers to help plants grow, and our agricultural practices have come to rely on phosphorus-based fertilizers to produce more food to feed our growing population.

“Phosphorus sustains half our food production,” says Egan. “Under our current system, we can’t live without it.”

Unfortunately, Egan says current practices regarding phosphorus fertilizers have proven entirely irresponsible, environmentally speaking. To make matters worse, we’ll likely run out of phosphorus within half a century. Much like fossil fuels, phosphorus has its own harmful side effects and is a limited-time solution to a long-term human challenge.

“When I was working on The Death and Life of the Great Lakes in the mid-2010s, I dedicated a chapter to phosphorus,” Egan says, describing the genesis of his latest book. “Back then, phosphorus seemed like the looming environmental crisis of our time, and no one was talking about it. Today the problem is even worse, and still no one’s talking about it.”

No one but Egan, that is. “[The problem is] very simple and very obvious,” he continues. “Overuse of phosphorus in fertilizers leads to phosphorus-inundated water run-off from farms. Those minerals wind up in our waterways, which then leads to toxic algae blooms. Virtually everyone I talk to has heard about algae blooms. But almost no one knows what’s causing them. It’s phosphorus. It’s phosphorus in the water.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “The overgrowth of algae consumes oxygen and blocks sunlight from underwater plants. The lack of oxygen makes it impossible for aquatic life to survive.” Toxic algae blooms caused by phosphorus in the Great Lakes have led to massive die-offs of fish, mammals, and birds and have even posed a risk to humans and caused numerous beach closures.

Conversations and Change

Egan’s latest book, The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance, raises the alarm over something well documented but not broadly publicized. He’s no stranger to reporting on environmental issues; Egan was a reporter first with Idaho Mountain Express and then with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, covering the Great Lakes from 2002 until 2021, and has received multiple awards for his journalism.

“The book is not a prescription; it’s a conversation,” says Egan. “The first step for folks in the Great Lakes region is to get informed, and that’s the book’s goal.” He says there’s no easy fix to the phosphorus dilemma because “it’s one thing to cap a smokestack or plug a polluting pipe, but how do you sponge a cornfield of phosphorus-inundated water-runoff?”

As Egan explains in his book, America’s over-reliance on this vital crop nutrient is causing toxic algae blooms and EPA-identified “dead zones” in the Great Lakes and beyond. Further, Egan explores the alarming reality that diminishing access to phosphorus threatens the food system worldwide—which could create conflict among nation-states.

Yet despite the looming, multi-faceted crisis, Egan shows considerable faith in his fellow Americans, insisting that history shows when folks are made aware of a pending environmental crisis, they take action. He points to the Cuyahoga River as a perfect example.

“The Cuyahoga River was so polluted it caught on fire in 1969,” he says. “That led to public outrage over the indiscriminate dumping of sewage and industrial chemicals into the Great Lakes. Then we got the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970.”

Words and Actions

When he speaks in Traverse City, Egan will be hosted by Patrick Shea, Interlochen Public Radio’s environmental reporter and producer of the podcast Points North.

“The Devil’s Element digests the science and translates it for a general audience,” says Shea. “It’s gripping, interesting, and relatable. Egan approaches the issue like a true journalist, understanding the agricultural needs of Americans but also pointing out the environmental emergency our over-reliance on phosphorus has created. Finally, Egan inspires us to act. It’s a book that makes you want to finish it, put it down, and get to work.”

Shea says he’s thrilled about the opportunity to host the March 10 event. “Helping folks understand the problem is the first step,” he says. “My goal with the event will be to do that and get the community further engaged in the issue. We all live near the Great Lakes and have a deep love for them. But we have to do our part to protect them.”

Egan concurs. “People will take action when they know the harm that’s occurring around them. But they have to know what’s happening in their backyards, or in this case, in the lakes and rivers that they live around. It’s easy to see these bodies of water everyday and sort of take them for granted. But if we’re not careful, our need to feed our population could result in environmental devastation in the Great Lakes. My hope is that this book will inspire people to act.”

About the Event

This event is jointly presented by the National Writers Series and the International Affairs Forum at City Opera House at 7pm on Friday, March 10, and can be attended in person or live-streamed. In-person tickets are $15.50 to $25.50 (plus fees). Virtual tickets are $14 per household and can be purchased, along with copies of The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance, through the National Writers Series website. To purchase or for more information, visit nationalwritersseries.org or tciaf.com.