Algae as means of carbon sequestration (not actionable anytime soon)

[moonshot]

Popular Science article discussing efforts to explore seeding parts of the ocean with iron to promote algae blooms, which will suck up CO2. Algae is at the beginning of the ocean's food chain. The idea is that much of the CO2 will end up in the feces and corpses of animals, and that these will sink to the bottom of the ocean.

Much more work needs to be done to understand how much and how long the CO2 consumed is actually sequestered. And more research needs to be done to understand the environmental impacts.

Anyway, if this is feasible, could be a much cheaper way to deal with global warming, as iron seeding companies could sell carbon credits to carbon emitters.

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Re: Algae as means of carbon sequestration (not actionable anytime soon)

Is this a retread? There was big talk by some company on how this would help, but I seem to recall that the science behind it was very muddled.

This came out several years ago though - and the company is still trying to raise money.

Hopefully the article is from an old issue - else I'd bet money that it is a paid for plant and would have to reduce my view of Popular Science accordingly.

[moonshot]

Re: Algae as means of carbon sequestration (not actionable anytime soon)

Is this a retread? There was big talk by some company on how this would help, but I seem to recall that the science behind it was very muddled.

This came out several years ago though - and the company is still trying to raise money.

Hopefully the article is from an old issue - else I'd bet money that it is a paid for plant and would have to reduce my view of Popular Science accordingly.

July 2008 issue. The company you're probably thinking about is Planktos. This is a story about their plan last year to seed iron in waters not far from the Galapagos islands. That company has since effectively folded; equity mkt cap is <$1mm. There is a new company, Climos (whose website is hosting the PS article), that is trying to do the fundamental research to see if the concept is viable.

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Re: Algae as means of carbon sequestration (not actionable anytime soon)

I wonder if Planktos and Climos share any officers? :rolleyes: