Can we help to increase oceanic blue-green algae population in the ocean in order to reduce global warming?

Question

Oceanic blue-green algae is the largest contributor in removing CO2 in the atmosphere. If we find out the factors limit it propulation growth and remove those limits. We can solve the problem of man make global warming.

Answer 1

Yes, it's called ocean fertilization. You fertilize it with iron shavings basically, that're so fine they float.

The oceans lack iron, so the algae only pops up when it's deposited somewhere, like by the amazon river.

So yeah, I believe someone gave you a site for it already, here's another:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_fertilization

Answer 2

Yes we can and this and similar schemes are being considered.

Algae and phytoplankton both sequester carbon dioixide from the atmosphere and have the advantage that when they die they sink to the bottom of the seas and oceans taking the trapped carbon with them.

It's not something I know a great deal about (I've studied other solutions to global warming in more detail) but it seems the reason for a lack of algea in some parts of the ocean is caused by a lack of nitrates in the water (or is it nitrites). The proposed remedy to this is to introduce urea to the parts of the oceans which are lacking in algea / phytoplankton. This is nitrogen rich and will create a more suitable environment for the spread of algae / phytoplankton.

A similar scheme was experimented with a little while ago which involved mixing iron filings with the ocean but this seems to have fallen by the wayside in favour of the urea approach.

Answer 3

Actually there is a company called Planktos who had a quite similar idea:
- seed the oceans with iron oxide in order to strengthen the plancton production and ultimately the life in the ocean.
The end reaction would be the creation of CaCO3 (fishbones for example which would sediment on the bottom of the oceans).
It is the opposite reaction of creating cement: CaCO3->CO2+CaO

Answer 4

I heard back in the 90's on Paul Harvey news that when engines burn grain alcohol it helps the ozone layer and is not harmfull to anything.That is actually reprentishes the ozone.Our politicians(both parties) who are owned and operated by big buissiness(oil companies etc) will NEVER allow this to take place.The Bush's own stock in Chevron the kennedys own KEN OIL .Farmers can grow enough to feed all of earths population and fuel our autos but the oil companies and our politicians wont allow it.They pay the farmes to plant a certain amount to maintain food prices about where they are.

Answer 5

There are people working to build "algae farms" to capture CO2. They are having problems scaling up the process to make it a viable process for large scale CO2 capture.

Answer 6

maybe