The problem Hawk is that adding iron to the oceans doesn't solve the long term problem. Removing it by encouraging soil conservation efforts to benefit agriculture didn't solve it either.
The amount of iron deposited from desert dust clouds into the global oceans has also decreased by 25 percent since the early 1980's. These clouds blow across the oceans and some reductions in marine plant productivity are directly correlated with a decline in atmospheric iron deposition. nasa.gov
And when Russ George (the man responsible for the Haida Iron Fertilization effort) was with Planktos, he pointed this out, theorizing that soil conservation might be part of the cause.. But his real point was
.... that 1980 levels of marine photosynthesis metabolized about 50 gigatons of CO2 annually, the recent shortfall equals nearly 3 gigatons of lost photosynthetic capacity or approximately half of all industrial and automotive emissions each year. treehugger.com
But we have learned over the past 20 years that volcanic ash has HUGE impacts on Phytoplankton Blooms.
atmos-chem-phys.net
Also, you said the following nonsense..
Man is mucking up things badly with Nature. I'm not seeing a of fear-mongering AGW acolytes volunteering to remove themselves from the gene pool. They'd like to remove everyone who disagrees with them, but they aren't removing themselves. So what are they waiting for if man is so destructive?
Man will NEVER equal the destructive and transformative power of Nature.
This planet has been "screwed" far worse than any pathetic activity on the part ot humanity.. Atmospheric CO2 levels have been 10x what they are today without the planet self-destructing.. In fact, over the past 500 million years we're actually at a historical LOW in CO2 ppm (period of glaciation similar to 300 million years ago. And over that 500 million years, the largest portion of it saw CO2 levels well above 1000ppm.
So all of your concern for mankind "mucking up things badly" is just ridiculous when compared with the longer term average. The CURRENT climate is actually an anomaly.. an aberration here CO2 levels are much lower than they have been previously..
brighton73.freeserve.co.uk
pnas.org
As soon as we stop using the Atmosphere as a "dumping ground" things will get better. Not for botanical life. They need that CO2. They THRIVE with additional CO2 (and Iron, Nitrates, and Phosphorus.. Referring you back to the Redfield Ratio). Horticulturalists who artificially augment CO2 levels in their greenhouses can attest to that. More CO2, more food they can produce, which makes them healthier and stronger.
And nature dumps CO2, Iron laden dust.. and huge amounts of sulphur.. Just wait for another Toba, Tambora, Krakatoa, or Yellowstone.. Then you can talk to me about atmospheric "dumping"..
You're just being selfish though.. You're actually trying to geo-engineer the planet to suit YOUR needs, not what a vast majority of Nature requires.
But a far greater bio-mass than humanity is dependent up Iron, CO2, Nitrates, and Phosphorus.
Hawk |
