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Politics : Politics of Energy
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To: Road Walker who wrote (4260)1/15/2009 8:36:55 PM
From: Hawkmoon  Read Replies (1) of 86356
 
And I don't have a lot of faith in mankind's ability to analyze very complex systems (like climate) and understand all the many variable repercussions that come with significant change in a chaotic system.

Duh.. So settle for paralysis by analysis?

Oceanic fertilization is entirely reversible. Additionally, in the portions of the oceans where there are significant dead zones devoid of phytoplankton, there should be relatively little negative environmental impact since very little marine life can exist there in the first place (zooplankton-krill feed on phytoplankton). And if you find adverse consequences, tweak your formula, or completely cease. The phytoplankton will disappear when all the nutrients are used up.

The only consequence I logically can see is that more food will become available for ALL kinds of marine life and existing atmospheric CO2 levels will be reduced as the Diatoms absorb it and sink to the ocean bottoms (hence the need for silica for the shells that add the requisite weight).

The real problem is that in the incessant point/counter-point about man's impact on CO2 increases, we're ignoring the elephant in the living room. CO2 increases should result in MORE phytoplankton growth, not less. Thus, something is seriously amiss with the oceanic nutrient levels. This may be man caused (soil conservation) or naturally caused.. Either way.. the solution exists just as much as the solution exists for fertilizing your lawn.

Hawk
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