Op-Ed on Ocean Fertilization to Avert Climate Change
Glaciation, global warming and radical weather patterns are some of the earliest signs of climate change affecting the world. Scientists have continued to argue that the effects of climate change will continue to be felt by the world over the next century unless global leaders address the situation succinctly. Researchers have proposed various ideas to curb climate change; some of which range from genetic engineering to regulation of industrialization (Patz et al., p.1571). In my own opinion, climate change should be tackled through the development and implementation of scientific measures to include increasing community concentration of phytoplankton which store high amounts of carbon.
Climatologists cite high temperatures in the coastal and tropical areas as the direct result of increased carbon concentrations in the atmosphere. My proposal centers around the only organisms that use up carbon to provide oxygen to us: plants (Patz et al., p.1572) Rather than concentrating on fighting fierce battles with multinational corporations (MNCs) in court, or asking people to reduce their meat intake, shouldn’t we concentrate on increasing the number of photosynthesizing organisms in the world? Although advocating for afforestation, reforestation and agroforestry are viable ideas, because of the rapidly growing population and the shifting economy it is entirely impossible to direct all our efforts towards planting trees. Thus, we should focus on phytoplankton. This is because Phytoplankton accounts for 70% of the oceans’ organism population, support life in the sea and multiply rapidly through blooms.
The ocean covers over 70% of the Earth’s surface, therefore, through extrapolation, it is clear that our efforts should concentrate on the most population organisms for aid in averting climate change. Since man has no will to help and industries continue to cause pollution, phytoplankton remains the best alternative at hand. The use of phytoplankton is viable through the nitrification of the oceans (Williamson et al., p.478). Scientists have concluded that phytoplankton accounts for over 80% of oxygen in the atmosphere. It means that to increase the supply of oxygen, we must use the process of nitrification to cause phytoplankton to generate more rapidly. They will absorb more carbon from the air and convert it to oxygen; thus, reversing the adverse effects of ozone layer blanketing.
Scientific field experiments show evidence of increasing nucleation of cloud formation processes through ocean fertilization. The addition of iron and other growth elements into the water promotes reproduction and results in increased diatom biomass (Williamson et al., p.479). Although the aspect of biomass increase is far-fetched, its compounding effects are worthwhile. Studies by Oceanographers and Marine Biologists show increased accumulation of dimethyl sulfide when phytoplankton blooms occur; and increased clouding leading to rains (Williamson et al., p.479). Since rains have a direct effect of lowering temperatures, ocean nitrification is potentially useful in reversing climate change.
Although I find some semblance of sense in my opinion, I agree with critics who might term my proposal ‘inadequate’. Some scientists argue that the effects of algal blooms in the ocean are currently a cause of concern, and exacerbating the impacts through nitrification will aggravate the situation. I agree that algal blooms create dead zones in the ocean and cause red waters which have health effects on human health (Strong, et al., p.244). However, I ask, do the effects of itchy skin and unsuitable ocean water for swimming in some parts of the ocean compare to the adverse effects of climate change? Although I agree that ocean fertilization is not entirely risk-free, it is important to consider that the alternative is worse. In conclusion, we would rather take precaution and institute the processes rather than risk an uncertain future.
Works Cited
Patz, Jonathan A et al. “Climate change: challenges and opportunities for global health.” The Journal of the American Medical Association, (Oct. 2014), vol. 312, no. 15, pp. 1565-80. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.13186.
Strong, Aaron L., Cullen, John J. and Chisholm, Sally W. “Ocean Fertilization: Science, Policy, and Commerce.” Oceanography, (Oct. 2015), vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 236-61.
Williamson, Phillip, et al. “Ocean fertilization for geoengineering: A review of effectiveness, environmental impacts and emerging governance.” Process Safety and Environmental Protection, (Nov. 2012), vol. 90, no. 6, pp. 475-88.
