How Sperm Whales Offset Their Carbon Footprint 150
Boy Wunda writes "Scientists at Flinders University in South Australia found that in an awesome example of design by Mother Nature, Southern Ocean sperm whales offset their carbon footprint by simply defecating – an action that releases tons of iron a year and stimulates the growth of phytoplankton which absorb and trap carbon dioxide. If only we humans could say the same for our poop, which really doesn't do much more than just sit there." I'm going to do my part by buying some iron supplements and a can of chili, and heading off toward the ocean.
I wonder ... (Score:5, Insightful)
design by Mother Nature (Score:2, Insightful)
This sounds almost religiously stupid. I doubt mother nature cares about us or the level of CO2.
Should we take mother nature at her word and send our untreated sewage into the ocean so we can be like the whales?
Carbon Footprint? (Score:5, Insightful)
Anything that doesn't use fossil fuel (directly or indirectly) is already pretty much carbon neutral over its lifespan. .The O2/CO2 levels in the atmosphere have been more or less in balance for millions of years,
You gotta be kidding me (Score:1, Insightful)
Carbon Footprint? (Score:5, Insightful)
Sperm whales have a carbon footprint? What? From the Hummers they're driving, or all the coal-burning power plants they've built?
I know this is Idle on Slashdot, but man, that is the dumbest headline I've seen in a while.
Re:Don't be too hard on yourselves (Score:3, Insightful)
Define 'good'. It will grow plants. It will smell very, very bad.
Re:I wonder ... (Score:3, Insightful)
Well... It would a bit However there are other disasters to consider from doing such activity that would make carbon footprint seem like a moot point.
That and the most of the Carbon problem we have isn't from our biology but from our use of fuels. Which is in essence the Carbon Collected by these lifeforms after they died. Basicly we are using the stuff that was collected years ago.
Re:design by Mother Nature (Score:3, Insightful)
This sounds almost religiously stupid. I doubt mother nature cares about us or the level of CO2.
Should we take mother nature at her word and send our untreated sewage into the ocean so we can be like the whales?
2 minutes [slashdot.org]
Re:Carbon Footprint? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: samzenpus: (Score:2, Insightful)
In the "morbid topic" department, I've contemplated how I would exit this world if I opted for suicide (and no, I'm not suicidal, it's just a great morbid topic) and I've concluded that firearms are the only real way to go.
Drowning? That won't do. Takes too long and involves too much panic.
Burning? Nope, same drawbacks as drowning.
Pills? Thanks but no thanks. Who the hell wants to commit suicide and then have time to think about the fact that they are going to die? This same drawback applies to leaving the car running in an enclosed space or slitting your wrists in the bathtub.
Hanging? I could see this one if you had the time and materials to build a real gallows that would snap your neck. But dying via strangulation? Yuck.
Nope, the firearm is really the only way to go. It requires true commitment (gotta squeeze that trigger) and doesn't provide much room for second guessing yourself. It should also be relatively painless unless you flinch at the last second. Added bonus: Nothing says "fuck you, cruel cruel world" quite like the mess that a headshot leaves behind ;)
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: samzenpus: (Score:4, Insightful)
What about trains?
Won't somebody think of the train driver?