On Apr 27, 1:19 pm, James Annan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hank Roberts wrote:
>
> > I keep hoping to hear from someone that there's a scenario that will
> > keep the ocean pH problem from going where it's headed. Has anyone
> > published estimates for any options there? A combined plan that
> > actually looks at both climate and pH at the same time would be
> > refreshing.
>
> Perhaps increasing the mixing rate of the ocean at high latitudes (cool,
> so CO2 is relatively highly soluble) might help to get the acidity
> distributed deeper through the ocean rather than concentrated in the
> upper layer. Just a wild Friday-night stab in the dark, don't take it
> seriously...
>
> I did try to run the following idea past a ocean biogeochemist: Use wind
> power to pump deep (nutrient-rich) water up to the surface, to increase
> primary productivity, potentially burying carbon as detritus and also
> increasing food production. He was full of reasons why it wouldn't work
> (eg if it had a significant effect, there would be the risk of anoxia
> due to the organic fallout, with various unwelcome consequences). Shame,
> I was aiming to retire with my $25m windfall from Branson. I never got
> as far as working if energy requirements made sense. I've heard of plans
> to use "free" gravity power (the head of river run-off) to increase
> mixing in fjords, so as to increase productivity (the bottom water is
> often fairly stagnant, nutrient-rich but anoxic due to the sill
> separating it from the open sea). In fact I'm sure it's been done at
> least experimentally.
>
> I'll have to get working on the floating rafts of coconut trees, with
> genetically engineered heavy coconuts which sink to the ocean floor...
>
> James
I remember in C S Lewis's 'Perelandra' (AKA Voyage to Venus), Ransom
spends most of the time floating around on a huge 'island' of trees
and jungle/foliage', which was one of many floating around on the
ocean. On the right scale, is this feasible? Would it work to absorb
CO2? I suspect there might be a problem with freshwater, for the trees
and other wildlife... and who would own them? And who might decide to
occupy them...
Just thinking out loud.
MODS: if my messages multi-repeat, can you delete them? It's not me.
It's getting so as I'm worried about posting anything...
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