Could Iron Fertilization Of Oceans Combat Global Warming?

Several times over the past century, scientists and environmental engineers have proposed spreading slurries of dissolved iron into the oceans in order to uA…aˆ?fertilizeuA‚A? the waters and promote vast blooms of marine plants (phytoplankton). Phytoplankton consume carbon dioxide as they grow, and this growth can be stimulated in certain ocean basins by the addition of iron, a necessary micronutrient. Researchers will consider whether iron fertilization can allow the ocean to absorb more carbon dioxide while remaining healthy (left), or if the addition of iron will give no net benefit while promoting other problems in the ocean (right). (Credit: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)Ads by Google Advertise on this site -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Global Warming Debate Warming is not a crisis! Gore won't debate. Learn the truth about CO2. www.globalwarmingheartland.org Global Warming Facts Are you worried about climate change? Get the facts. www.GetEnergyActive.org Blu Ocean Company Help Desk Management System - Cost-Effective Solution - Free Demo www.NumaraSoftware.com Global Warming More Sources - Better Results Metasearch Global Warming now! webcrawler.com/GlobalWarming Green House Effect Building for a Greener Tomorrow Information and Learning for all! www.planitbuildit.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Though common on land, dissolved iron is often rare in the ocean. Some researchers and commercial interests have recently proposed to provide that missing nutrient on a large scale in order to create artificial blooms. Theory holds that if you make such blooms large enough, you could remove excess carbon dioxide from Earthus atmosphere and carry it down into the deep ocean as organic matter...