Template:Plankton Aug-07

From Lauraibm

Full article: Scientist Unveils Plan on Climate Change (20-Aug-07)

A scientist believes he has found a way to head off dangerous climate change. The idea is simple — fertilize the ocean so that more plankton can grow. Plankton growing in the ocean emits a gas known as dimethyl sulfide that, once in the atmosphere, helps spur cloud formation. That, in turn, would cool the planet and offset some of the global warming caused by human emitted greenhouse gases, he said. "It might be relatively benign," he said. "It might not. We just don't know."

In pursuing his idea, he is entering a scientific political minefield known as geo-engineering.

• The most widely discussed geo-engineering proposal involves a fleet of jets spewing aerosols that would deflect the sun's rays, cooling the planet in the process.
• Other suggestions include launching giant mirrors into space to block some of the sun's light.