By Arash Hekmat
A caravan park in Scotland could play a key role in the development of new technology to help slow down climate change.
Scientists will next week begin an experiment in Argyll to study the effects of carbon capture and storage (CCS) on the environment.
CCS involves pumping carbon dioxide into the rock and sediment below the sea bed before it can be released into the atmosphere.
Many believe that the technology will help limit the effects of global warming while the world gradually switches from burning fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy.
But now that the science bit has been explained, where does the caravan park come into things?
Well, the experiment involves studying environmental impact of a potential carbon dioxide leak into the seabed and water above.
And to do this, the Scottish Association of Marine Science and partners from around the world will use gas containers based in the Tralee Bay Holiday Park to simulate a carbon dioxide leak below the seabed off the coast of Ardmucknish Bay.
Between 80 and 800kg of CO2 will be pumped into the sediment of the bay for the duration of the 30-day trial. They will then monitor the effects of this release on the local flora and fauna over a 90-day period to see how the environment recovers.
