Plan to Dump Iron in Ocean as Climate Fix Attracts Debate

RolandTD20Kdrummer

In the coming days to weeks, Planktos, a small California-based "ecorestoration" company, will use a 115-foot (35-meter) research ship to dump a hundred tons of iron dust into international waters some 200 miles (322 kilometers) west of the Galápagos Islands.

Iron—a nutrient naturally carried into the ocean by wind—encourages plankton growth, which can absorb atmospheric CO2, a greenhouse gas.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070725-iron-ocean.html

catefrances

so why dont they dump it off the coast of america? why must it be so close to such a unique treasure like the galapagos islands?

tybird

catefrances wrote:

so why dont they dump it off the coast of america? why must it be so close to such a unique treasure like the galapagos islands?

The location choice is probably related to ocean currents, water depth and such. The area chosen is a keystone point for ocean currents in the Pacific.

Kann

Messing around with natural equilibrium doesn't always seem like such a good idea - even if it's for a good cause.
It's great though to see that people are never out of idea to change things.

Abookamongstthemany

bump

OutOfBreath

Hehe, after just reading a trilogy where the entire surface of Mars is terraformed, this sounds like small potatoes
Seriously, they should be careful about unexpected consequences when messing with the natural equilibriums. But maybe it could work. A small scale test first perhaps?

Peace
Dan

my2hands

dumping heavy metals into the ocean, doesnt sound wise to me. but what the hell do i know?

jlew24asu

my2hands wrote:

dumping heavy metals into the ocean, doesnt sound wise to me. but what the hell do i know?

thats what I thought too. but yea, what do I know?



side note: nice location! you got there.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

my2hands wrote:

dumping heavy metals into the ocean, doesnt sound wise to me. but what the hell do i know?

I don't think Iron is a heavy type metal. Certainly it isnt toxic to us.

Ever take a bunch of those frosted mini wheats and crush them all up in a large bowl then run a magnet through the dust.

Check out how much metal (Iron) sticks to the magnet. You'll freak.

Yeah you eat it in most cereals just like they dump it in the ocean same form (dust).

It's in our blood as well. Not harmful to my knowledge.

http://student.bmj.com/back_issues/0402/education/100.html

during impoverished and war times they would boil rusty iron nails in water and drink it to cure stuff...same diff.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

catefrances wrote:

so why dont they dump it off the coast of america? why must it be so close to such a unique treasure like the galapagos islands?

concentration of plankton per area..it's super food to plankton. It's harmless imo.

surferdude

RolandTD20Kdrummer wrote:

I don't think Iron is a heavy type metal. Certainly it isnt toxic to us.

Ever take a bunch of those frosted mini wheats and crush them all up in a large bowl then run a magnet through the dust.

Check out how much metal (Iron) sticks to the magnet. You'll freak.

Yeah you eat it in most cereals just like they dump it in the ocean same form (dust).

It's in our blood as well. Not harmful to my knowledge.

http://student.bmj.com/back_issues/0402/education/100.html

in impoverished and war times they would boil iron nails in water and drink it to cure stuff...same diff.

Given our track record trying to manage nature I can only expect this to be a colossal failure with huge unexpected and negative side effects. Our only role with nature should be trying to lessen our impact. Trying to manage something we don't understand is the height of arrogance and stupidity.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

Kann wrote:

Messing around with natural equilibrium doesn't always seem like such a good idea - even if it's for a good cause.
It's great though to see that people are never out of idea to change things.

We are doing that just being alive. We have to use our heads and science to analyze and counter balance where it is intelligent.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

surferdude wrote:

Given our track record trying to manage nature I can only expect this to be a colossal failure with huge unexpected and negative side effects. Our only role with nature should be trying to lessen our impact. Trying to manage something we don't understand is the height of arrogance and stupidity.

Not always my friend. In this case it is understood, and follows the principles of the food chain.

surferdude

RolandTD20Kdrummer wrote:

Not always my friend. In this case it is understood, and follows the principles of the food chain.

Unfortunately that's what we've thought every time we've gone and really fucked things up.

As far as our understanding of nature goes we are like an 8 year old kid in the backseat of a car. We think we understand driving then when we irresponsibly get behind the wheel and we drive the car into a ditch. Only then realizing there must be more to driving than we realized and still not knowing what it is.

Cosmo

So... I guess I should apologise to that boater I called a mother fucking asshole a few years ago because he dumped an old skillet and hibatchi looking thing overboard.
My bad.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

surferdude wrote:

Unfortunately that's what we've thought every time we've gone and really fucked things up.

As far as our understanding of nature goes we are like an 8 year old kid in the backseat of a car. We think we understand driving then when we irresponsibly get behind the wheel and we drive the car into a ditch. Only then realizing there must be more to driving than we realized and still not knowing what it is.

Perhaps, but I doubt highly it in this case. Are you saying all environmental movements have been disasters?

Nothing unnatural is being introduced here.

It's the exact same scenario as providing more sun and fertilizer (organic) to plants. If that is harmful then we should just give up now, and accept doom as you say.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

Cosmo wrote:

So... I guess I should apologise to that boater I called a mother fucking asshole a few years ago because he dumped an old skillet and hibatchi looking thing overboard.
My bad.

lmfao...

IndianSummer

RolandTD20Kdrummer wrote:

during impoverished and war times they would boil rusty iron nails in water and drink it to cure stuff...same diff.

can u pls supply a link to prove that this has actually been done.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

IndianSummer wrote:

can u pls supply a link to prove that this has actually been done.

I don't feel like looking. I thought this was common knowledge? Am I the only one that has heard this?

Ingesting Iron is ingesting Iron. It's an element...there is no special food or "edible iron" it's all the same thing from the same place.

surferdude

RolandTD20Kdrummer wrote:

If that is harmful then we should just give up now, and accept doom as you say.

Why not just lessen out impact and let Nature run it's course. To think we can out do nature is ridiculous.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

surferdude wrote:

Why not just lessen out impact and let Nature run it's course. To think we can out do nature is ridiculous.

I don't think they are advocating more pollution, but rather a solution to an existing problem. I sure they are quite a green company in philosophy to have the mentality to even come up with this. Dash of this a dash of that. Population isn;t getting any smaller as countries come up through the ranks.