Come back Prometheus, all is forgiven

On thing that I have often accused the Warminsistas of is hubris, in particular their belief that we human beings are capable of controlling the weather and climate of our planet. I contend that such attempts are entirely futile and bound to fail. However like all of those of a religious persuasion the Warminisistas are not easily dissuaded from the central tenets of their faith, namely that if we as a species are contrite enough(in the form of an adequate anti carbon penitence) then humanity can be saved.The piece that I quote below(please click on the picture to see the mechanism of the discovery explained simply) suggests that the planet is far more self regulating than the high priests of the green faith have previously claimed and that even it their claims about the significance of the increase in global Co2 are correct that a mechanism to compensate (without our arrogant intervention) already exists on our wonderful planet.

click to enlarge

As a result of the findings, a ground-breaking experiment will be held this month off the British island of South Georgia, 800 miles south east of the Falklands. It will see if the phenomenon could be harnessed to contain rising
carbon emissions.

Researchers will use several tons of iron sulphate to create an artificial bloom of algae. The patch will be so large it
will be visible from space.

Scientists already knew that releasing iron into the sea stimulates the growth of algae. But environmentalists had warned that to do so artificially might damage the planet’s fragile ecosystem.

Last year, the UN banned iron fertilisation in the Great Southern Ocean.

However, the new findings show the mechanism has actually been operating naturally for millions of years within the isolated southern waters. And it has led to the researchers being granted permission by the UN to move ahead with the experiment.

The scientist who will lead the next stage of the study, Professor Victor Smetacek, said: ‘The gas is sure to
be out of the Earth’s atmosphere for several hundred years.’

The aim is to discover whether artificially fertilising the area will create more algae in the Great Southern Ocean. That ocean is an untapped resource for soaking up CO2 because it doesn’t have much iron, unlike other seas.

It covers 20million square miles, and scientists say that if this could all be treated with iron, the resulting algae would remove three-and-a-half gigatons of carbon dioxide. This is equivalent to one eighth of all emissions annually created by burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal.

It would also be equal to removing all carbon dioxide emitted from every power plant, chimney and car exhaust in the rapidly expanding industries of India and Japan.

As readers may surmise from the title of this piece I think that such experiments may not be as benign as their advocates suggest. when you play with nature on the sort of scale that is suggested here there could be all kinds of consequences, many of which could be disastrous. Ah but when has that ever stopped those people that are driven by the sort of religious fervour to save humanity from itself?
What is clear from this article is that our understanding of the very complex mechanisms that regulate the temperature of the planet are certainly not well enough known or understood for it to be at all wise to begin meddling with them at this point in time.
One thing that I am beginning to understand is just why the Gods were so keen to see Prometheus chained to that rock. Hmm maybe we should try that on some Warminisistas instead, Al Gore’s liver would make a tasty (and large) meal for a ravaging bird, not so sure that it would grow back though, but maybe it is time that the fat man took one for the team anyway…
Cheers Comrades