It is noted in a new study http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060830220448.htm that iron put into the ocean to stimulate the growth of phytoplankton (and thereby increase the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere) does so but then the plankton quickly is devoured by a growth of the life that depends upon the plankton for sustenance. A stable distribution of the iron requires repeated applications of the iron which is uneconomic.
There are medical pills which have their active elements embedded in microscopic beads which dissolve at different rates ensuring a continuous medication over a long period as the beads dissolve.If the same principle was embodied in the application of iron to the ocean environment the embedding material for the iron would slowly dissolve over a period of perhaps months or years releasing the iron slowly and ensuring a stable iron supply for the phytoplankton and increasing the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.
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Now this sounds more promising. Delivery could be done by cruise ships, tankers, fishing boats and military vessels- everyone carries their fair share based on tonnage. I wonder if you could load a "soon to be scuttled" ship with the stuff and as the ship broke down the iron would be released? They are now using old aircraft carriers as artificial reefs. The big obstacle is still the cost along with who implements, oversees and pays for it. Sooner or later we are going to have to do something.
I know, I know... Let's dump all the junk cars offshore!! It would build a nice reef for fish as well as add slow release iron for the plankton. If it's large enough it would protect us from the hyper-predicted killer tsunami.
Quite seriously tho', when are we going to quit messing with Mother Nature?
Mother nature is not a kindly old lady carng for her brood. She is out to kill as many incompetent organisms as possible and we are, at the moment, increasing our incomperence at an accelerating rate. We had better mess with her in a meaningful way or she will wipe us out.
We need to do the equivalent of a mass balance to find out where all the Carbon and Oxygen is in the world. Then if we want to move some of it around we can do it intelligently.
I'm thinking the best way to reduce atmosphereic CO2 is to reduce the emissions of CO2. Also, Oxygen is a major component of CO2, by scrubbing the CO2 out of the atmosphere, you reduce the total Oxygen available for use by plants. There is a layer of Carbon rich sludge over 3 miles thick on the bottom of the deepest parts of the ocean. Too bad we can't mine it. But how much of it is storing oxygen as well?