Nitrogen fertiliser magically transformed agriculture. Today we need a new spell to clear up the results

THE MOST IMPORTANT thing about Mark Sutton is his contribution to the world’s efforts to clean up nitro­gen pollution, but that is not the most striking thing about him. With the earnest air of an English schoolboy of yesteryear, an ability to get into great detail about his enthusiasms very quickly and, on occasion, socks with his sandals, he is, give …