The Ragland Project

We've written extensively before about how Neil Young has been ahead of the curve regarding environmental issues. The Inconvenient Truth of Greendale examined the album's themes which served as a warning of the consequences of environmental degradation.

Which brings us back to the Ragland Project. In 2002, Neil's boat The Ragland set sail to save the world's ocean and climate from the effects of global warming.

Neil loaned his 100 yr old wooden schooner Ragland and crew to the Planktos Foundation and began a series of innovative ocean/climate experiments by adding natural iron mineral dust to a small forest sized patch of ocean. The Ragland was used to deliver a cargo of "rust" (the natural iron mineral dust) to help fight global warming. Natural iron mineral dust used in the experiment supplements a scarce iron nutrient in the ocean. When added to the ocean in minute quantities iron is known to stimulate growth of ocean plants, phyto-plankton. The plants, in turn, absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, CO2.

For more details, see The Ragland Project.

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