Just Released! Order “Waking Up to Climate Change” by George Ropes, and receive 25% Discount. Learn More

HOME          CATEGORIES          OUR TAKE

Ocean climate fix remains afloat

One of the more far-out ideas to “fix” the carbon dioxide emission problem and save the planet still has its proponents, although many remain opposed.  The idea is to use plankton as a sponge to draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the sea, where it sinks to the bottom and is locked into deep sea sediment.  But the amount of carbon dioxide stored away was less than predicted, so some have proposed “seeding” the plankton with iron, which can stimulate it’s growth.  Others fear that adding iron to the ocean may damage ecosystems.  Experiments show that natural iron increased the amount of stored carbon, but it still fell far below estimates.  The next steps, using artificial iron, will be crucial to determine the ecological impacts.  The German government has now authorized an ocean fertilization experiment near Argentina. However, squabbling continues over what rules and safeguards should apply.

Comment on this article

ClimateYou moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (New York time) and can only accept comments written in English.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

SHARE THIS ARTICLE


More Posts Like This

CITY TECH BLOG

Climate Change in Tourism, Industry & Agriculture.

Agriculture is one of the most vital sectors in the world, and it is also one of the most vulnerable to climate change. The changing weather patterns are leading to unpredictable rainfall, droughts, and floods, which are severely impacting crop yields. In developing countries, where the majority of

CITY TECH BLOG

How Climate Change Affects Sea level Rise

Sea level rise is one of the most visible and pressing consequences of climate change. As global temperatures continue to rise, glaciers and ice sheets are melting, causing sea levels to rise. In this article, we will explore how sea level rise is affected by climate change, its