Phytoplankton To Stop Global Warming?

India is going to try something next year to try to lessen or prevent global warming.

In 2009, India is going to fertilize the South Atlantic Ocean with iron sulfate, which will promote the growth of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is responsible for 50% of the planets photosynthesis, or can be interpreted as saying, the removal of 50% of the worlds carbon dioxide.

India to Test South Atlantic Carbon Sink in 2009

India is planning to ‘fertilize’ – or seed – an area of the South Atlantic, off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, with 20 tonnes of non-toxic iron sulfate. At first, one worries about pollution, but you have to read on to see the brilliance of this. First of all, the ‘seed’ material is non-toxic, and therefore will not harm the ocean in any way. Secondly, the ‘seeding’ is intended – and proven – to raise the levels of phytoplankton – a tiny floating surface algae – that is responsible for 50% of the Earth’s photosynthesis, and thus, removal of 50% of the worlds carbon.

California based Planktos Inc., among others, have already tried this method, and found that it is indeed a viable method to help the environment. In fact, back in the early 1990’s, a region of the Pacific Ocean was ‘seeded’ with iron dust and saw a 20-fold increase in the local phytoplankton population, with a corresponding decline in atmospheric carbon dioxide by roughly 2,500 tons within a period of 2 weeks.

Since a build up of carbon dioxide is causing global warming, converting the carbon dioxide into oxygen is the perfect idea for fighting the threat of global warming.

[edit on 16/9/07 by Keyhole]

Any chance the phytoplanktons can be harvested and turned into chunks or logs of firewood? It'll be novel way to create fuel.

I am really impressed with this! Good for India. It's something we could easily do ourselves with our American money and tech, but we're too busy fighting over "whether" there is global warming.

Increasing the phytoplankton will increase the numbers of krill, which will feed larger animals.

it's a win-win for the ecosystem.

Hats off to India!

Here is another reason why we need to "help" phytoplankton (a tiny floating surface algae) to grow.

From original article

The journal Science recently published data showing that the Southern Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere had been reduced by 15% every decade since 1981.

Another report suggests that, since the 1980s, the ocean’s ability to metabolize carbon dioxide – which sat at 50 gigatons a year – has dropped 3 gigatons, due to the loss of phytoplankton. This corresponds to approximately half of all industrial and automotive emissions each year.

Originally posted by MajorMalfunction
It's something we could easily do ourselves with our American money and tech, but we're too busy fighting over "whether" there is global warming.

You're forgetting another factor: it wouldn't make money for the Powers That Be.