CLIMATE CHANGE AND OCEAN ACIDIFICATION - Marine Pollution: What Everyone Needs to Know - page 183

photosynthesis and hence carbon uptake into the ecosystem.
Some of this extra carbon should end up in the deep ocean, car-
ried there in the bodies of dead organisms. Twelve large-scale
experiments have been undertaken, mainly in the Southern
Ocean, with mixed results. Overall, they have produced little
evidence that the technique will reliably sequester carbon.
Most scientists think that such efforts are not likely to be effec-
tive. New calculations take into account not only the CO 2 that
will be sequestered in the deep sea but also subtract losses due
to ventilation, greenhouse gas production, and the burning of
fossil fuels in order to produce the iron salts, transport them,
and distribute them at sea. These calculations suggest that a
single iron fertilization event will sequester just 10 tons of car-
bon/sq km at a cost of almost $500/ton of CO 2 . In July 2012,
Russ George of Planktos, Inc. dropped 100 tons of iron sulfate
into the Pacific Ocean off Canada's West Coast. He claimed
that this study was meant to mitigate climate change by spur-
ring the growth of plankton. Satellites show that there was a
plankton bloom over 10,000 square kilometers. The Canadian
government launched an investigation to determine whether
he violated international treaties including the Convention on
Biological Diversity and the London Convention on Dumping
of Wastes at Sea. Much of the scientific community condemned
his actions because the project had violated international
agreements, including a moratorium declared by the United
Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
In contrast, energy efficiency is a win-win situation. Much
more must be done to develop energy efficient cars, buildings,
and appliances. Efficient technologies can contribute large
emission reductions, since they offer high cost savings and
can significantly reduce emissions. Unfortunately, small-scale
innovations that improve efficiency go unnoticed because they
don't have the glamour of solar panels and wind turbines, and
don't benefit from the market interests and political influence.
Recycling can combat climate change because it reduces
the need to mine and process new materials which produces