Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Algae Blooms Seen Keeping Earth Cool

Scientists associated with the National Academies of Sciences have proposed dumping hundreds of thousands of tons of iron into the ocean to create giant blooms of marine algae that could soak up much of the excess carbon dioxide believed to be responsible for global warming. If the massive scheme is carried out, researchers say, it would be among the greatest manipulations of nature ever attempted. The Washington Post said the group recommended that a large international “iron enrichment experiment” be implemented at a cost of between $50 million and $150 million. Scientists are unsure, however, about the negative effects of inducing algae growth.