Controversial ocean fertilization project sparks outrage
OCT 17, 2012
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.026449
Guardian : In a recent geoengineering experiment, US businessman Russ George dumped about 100 metric tons of iron sulfate into the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Canada. Iron prompts phytoplankton to bloom; phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide, and when they die they sink to the ocean floor, taking the carbon with them. The technique is highly experimental, and scientists have raised concerns that it can harm ocean ecosystems and actually worsen global warming. George had persuaded the nearby indigenous population to allow the dump by claiming it would environmentally benefit the ocean and enhance salmon fishing. According to legal experts, the project violated two United Nations conventions.
© 2012 American Institute of Physics
