A Setback for Geoengineering? - Mother Jones

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By Michael Mechanic
| Wed Mar. 17, 2010 3:07 PM PDT


Bad news this week for the cheerleaders of a carbon-capture technique known as iron fertilization. That's where you spread tiny bits of the nutritious metal over the sea surface, encouraging the birth of phytoplankton blooms. As they grow, these single-celled creatures—the bottom link in the ocean food chain—suck up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and incorporate it into their tiny little selves. When they die, the theory goes, they sink to the frigid ocean depths where they are trapped, taking the carbon out of circulation. Presto!

But that last bit is pretty speculative, and iron fertilization comes with unintended consequences. In her MoJo report on the unproven technique—which has raised the ire of, among others, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (a group best known for its salty founder and its standoffs with whaling vessels)—Melanie Haiken spoke with a number of scientists who were concerned about potential side effects:

Some computer models predict that iron fertilization could bring about the production of greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide and methane. Other concerns: Seeding may stimulate growth of toxic species, alter the marine food chain, and lead to the depletion of deep-water oxygen. In short, toying with the world's largest ecosystem would affect the natural balance upon which larger species, including humans, depend.

http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/03/geoengineering-iron-fertilization-toxic

[izquierdista]

1. Better try something

If humans want to stick around, they better find a way around Mother Nature's solution -- mass die-off.

[abqmufc]

2. Agreed and outdated ideas are not gonna work.

I swear it is as if someone asked "Do we have any ideas for the energy issues we face?"

Those in room have been told not to think of such things since President Carter was shamed in public for talking about the same issues we now talk about today. They go back to the lab and dust off 30 year old research ideas which had not seen daylight since the Carter Administration.

Regardless how outdated these ideas are they were brought forward as they are "shovel ready."

Hence we have as "best available control technologies" for solving our energy woes (according to the Clean Air Act)the idea to put a nipple on every coal plant and ship that smoke and pollution to some poor person down the road who is desperate for $$$ and will allow some power company to pump pollution under their homes, schools, and food (crop fields) - allowing the mercury, lead and carbon to be absorbed over time into your food.

And this is called progress...