Michael Markels and Richard T. Barber

Global warming, which many experts believe is caused by an increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere resulting from the burning of fossil fuels, has generated worries that ocean levels will rise and weather patterns will change. In response, many international treaties have been developed that call for nations to reduce production of CO2. However, fertilizing the ocean with iron to remove CO2 from the atmosphere is more economical than trying to reduce CO2 emissions, argue Michael Markels and Richard T. Barber in the following viewpoint. The authors claim that adding iron to encourage marine plant growth will reduce atmospheric levels of CO2. Markels is the founder of GreenSea Venture, Inc., an ocean farming company. Barber is a professor of biological oceanography at Duke University.

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