Natural experiments prove phytoplankton carbon removal works
The article argues that natural ocean processes provide evidence that iron fertilization can effectively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It suggests that human-led geoengineering could mimic these natural nutrient cycles to combat climate change.
Why it matters
Understanding ocean-based carbon sequestration is critical for evaluating potential large-scale climate change mitigation strategies.
Never in a million years would the craziest of the mad geoengineers dream of adding a fraction of the iron the Sahara dumps on the North Atlantic every day. Adding nutrients to the ocean so tiny ocean plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is an idea that people aren’t used to. Unfamiliar ideas make us uncomfortable. That gut level “I’m not so sure about this” is natural enough. It comes out as an inchoate sense that such a thing must be risky, that we’ve never done it before and so couldn’t possibly know what the consequences would be.
Presents a scientific argument based on observational data regarding environmental policy.
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