The scientists concluded that fertilizing the southwest Atlantic was not a good way to lock away carbon dioxide, but that ocean fertilization needs additional testing before it's discounted. Other oceans and other materials, like silicon instead of iron, might be better candidates for geoengineering, says Ken Buesseler, a scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts who has conducted his own ocean fertilization experiments. "No one is saying that [ocean fertilization] alone will solve the greenhouse gas problem," said Buesseler. "But if we try many different solutions at the same time it could have a significant impact." Buesseler says that more experiments are necessary to find the best section of the ocean and the best material to encourage plankton to take oxygen out of the atmosphere and to then sink to the bottom of the ocean. "There is no one solution to solving global warming," said Buesseler, "But doing nothing doesn't seem very satisfying to me." Related Links: TreeHugger.com: Natural Iron Fertilization: Sahara Dust Storms Stimulate Huge Plankton Blooms |
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