Thousands of tonnes of iron will be dumped at sea in an attempt to cut global warming by sucking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it has been reported.
Published: 7:30AM BST 21 Jun 2010
The iron will lay vast amounts of phytoplankton, which absorbs CO2 as the grow, The Times reported.
When the phytoplankton die it sinks to the bottom of the ocean, storing away the carbon for more than 50 years, the paper added.
Greenhouse gases raise temperatures onlineThe National Oceanography Centre at the University of Southampton is planning a five-year trial which will cost £70m.
Aircraft would spray iron sulphate liquid over almost 4,000 miles of the Southern Ocean, The Times claimed.
It is thought that if successful the project could remove almost a billion tonnes of carbon a year from the atmosphere – 12 per cent of total CO2 emissions produced by humans.
Proponents say the cost could be met by businesses to offset their carbon emissions, the paper added.
Scientists, however, have admitted that fertilising the ocean with hundreds of tonnes of iron could have a negative impact on marine life because the dying phytoplankton would cause a reduction in oxygen.
The trial needs to be approved by the UN London Convention, which regulates the dumping of substances at sea, The Times noted.
