Judging from the very harsh sentences masters who are caught (let alone brag about) dumping waste overboard, you'd rather think there's a conspiracy in favour of rather than against these jackasses.
Can Anyone Stop the Man Who Will Try Just About Anything to Stop Climate Change?
11–20 of 56 posts
Re: Can Anyone Stop the Man Who Will Try Just About Anything to Stop Climate Change?
#12I am not a marine biologist, but is it possible that there is a different substance (maybe something artificial) that could be dumped instead of iron to encourage algae blooms without the associated toxicity? Obviously that would raise the cost. Or maybe iron + substance X to suppress the formation of toxic blooms? Maybe there is some sort of trade off point here. Where the C02 reduction saves more wildlife than what…
They could be using iron dust because it's cheaply available as a byproduct of something else, but I would have expected e.g. silica dust to be cheaper still. [EDIT:] thanks for the info! TFA went on and on, yet somehow omitted the explanation for iron...
I bet sewer sludge would be even cheaper, but that practice was banned for a reason. I fail to see how iron oxide is much better.
Re: Can Anyone Stop the Man Who Will Try Just About Anything to Stop Climate Change?
#13I am not a marine biologist, but is it possible that there is a different substance (maybe something artificial) that could be dumped instead of iron to encourage algae blooms without the associated toxicity? Obviously that would raise the cost. Or maybe iron + substance X to suppress the formation of toxic blooms? Maybe there is some sort of trade off point here. Where the C02 reduction saves more wildlife than what…
They could be using iron dust because it's cheaply available as a byproduct of something else, but I would have expected e.g. silica dust to be cheaper still. [EDIT:] thanks for the info! TFA went on and on, yet somehow omitted the explanation for iron...
Iron is needed for photosynthesis, and silicia is not. Iron is the key limiting factor in the growth of oceanic plankton, so it has to be iron.
Optionally, we could use volcanic ash instead. But only because it contains a lot of iron. :)
Re: Can Anyone Stop the Man Who Will Try Just About Anything to Stop Climate Change?
#14Chances are, he will do more harm than good. This field does not have great track record. See, for example, the introduction of the Cane Toad to Australia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toad#Australia
I was unaware that cane toads, in any number, could have any effect on climate. "...and that is how we know the earth to be banana-shaped..."
Rabbits have completely transformed the Australian continent, one so dramatic you can see the effects from space. (http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/181383/view) Cane toads have a smaller but measurable effect since they utterly ruin entire ecosystems.
If you think it's impossible for a single organism to have an effect on climate you're mistaken. Wolves, once reintroduced to Yellowstone, have changed the entire park, altering water flow on a massive scale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q
Re: Can Anyone Stop the Man Who Will Try Just About Anything to Stop Climate Change?
#15Sure, George, Dumping tons and tons of iron into the ocean with no idea what it will do to the ecosystem definitely seems like a 'cautious approach' (quote from the article).
We have strong guesses on the direct guesses. And the scientists are refusing to look at his data because his study was done illegally.
Your sarcastic tone is a great example of how deeply everyone has their head in the sand.
Re: Can Anyone Stop the Man Who Will Try Just About Anything to Stop Climate Change?
#16I just don't understand why everyone refuses to study the results (at least, from what the article seems to convey). Yeah, it was short-sighted and illegal and probably dangerous in ways that are currently inexplicable -- but isn't that the whole point? Go ahead and arrest the guy, or sue him, whatever -- but scientists should not pass up the opportunity to study the effects of an actual geoengineering intervention.
And the strange thing is nobody is actually preventing people who dump billions of ton of plastic in ocean with this much vigour.
Re: Can Anyone Stop the Man Who Will Try Just About Anything to Stop Climate Change?
#17Chances are, he will do more harm than good. This field does not have great track record. See, for example, the introduction of the Cane Toad to Australia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toad#Australia
None of us should care about the chances. Let's study it!
At the very least, look at the opportunity cost. You can have climate change as it's moving now. Or you can try your best at political solutions (good luck stopping China&India's economic growth and associated pollution). Or you can try some geo-engineering.
Re: Can Anyone Stop the Man Who Will Try Just About Anything to Stop Climate Change?
#18I just don't understand why everyone refuses to study the results (at least, from what the article seems to convey). Yeah, it was short-sighted and illegal and probably dangerous in ways that are currently inexplicable -- but isn't that the whole point? Go ahead and arrest the guy, or sue him, whatever -- but scientists should not pass up the opportunity to study the effects of an actual geoengineering intervention.
And the strange thing is nobody is actually preventing people who dump billions of ton of plastic in ocean with this much vigour.
No one is "dumping" plastic on the ocean. It's million of litterers and maritime equipment malfunctions.
Re: Can Anyone Stop the Man Who Will Try Just About Anything to Stop Climate Change?
#19I just don't understand why everyone refuses to study the results (at least, from what the article seems to convey). Yeah, it was short-sighted and illegal and probably dangerous in ways that are currently inexplicable -- but isn't that the whole point? Go ahead and arrest the guy, or sue him, whatever -- but scientists should not pass up the opportunity to study the effects of an actual geoengineering intervention.
I had the same thought. This article was published two years ago, surely that's enough time to measure the effect.
Re: Can Anyone Stop the Man Who Will Try Just About Anything to Stop Climate Change?
#20Judging from the very harsh sentences masters who are caught (let alone brag about) dumping waste overboard, you'd rather think there's a conspiracy in favour of rather than against these jackasses.
Iron seeding for plankton is a pretty well talked about solution to introducing forces to work against the warming of the planet. It's not like he's concocted some wild new idea.