Ocean Fertilisation

Geoengineering is no place for corporate profit making

There is no shortage of ideas from business to save the environment – the problem is when they want to make a fast buck by Clive Hamilton (Guardian) “Save the world and make a little cash on the side.” That’s the motto of Russ George, the colourful entrepreneur behind...

Don’t Dump Iron — Dump Rogue Climate Schemes

The press release had a pretty stark headline: “Haida Announce Termination of Russ George.” If the name sounds familiar its because he is the Californian businessman who last year led the world’s largest, and unapproved, geoengineering (climate manipulation) scheme to dump over 100 tonnes of iron into the Pacific ocean west of Haida Gwaii in British Columbia…

B.C. village’s ocean fertilization experiment probed

Environment Canada investigating after iron-rich dust dumped off coast Fifth Estate (CBC) Environment Canada's enforcement branch has executed search warrants in British Columbia as part of an investigation into a controversial iron-fertilization experiment that took...

Greatest risk of ocean experiment is that it will spawn more

by Dene Moore (Postmedia News) VANCOUVER - A small British Columbia First Nation making waves around the world with a controversial experiment in the Pacific Ocean is on the front lines of climate change, even critics admit. And as the fears of global warming grow,...

Iron Ocean Dump Greatest Risk Is Haida Salmon Boom: Critic

by Dene Moore (Canadian Press) VANCOUVER - A small British Columbia First Nation making waves around the world with a controversial experiment in the Pacific Ocean is on the front lines of climate change, even critics admit. And as the fears of global warming grow,...

Canadian government ‘knew of plans to dump iron into the Pacific’

by Martin Lukacs (Guardian) As controversy mounts over the Guardian's revelations that an American businessman conducted a massive ocean fertilisation test, dumping around 100 tonnes of iron sulphate off Canada's coast, it has emerged the Canadian government may have...

100 tonnes of iron sulphate dumped off Canada’s Pacific coast

(Torstar News Service) The Pacific Ocean, just off Canada’s west coast, has a new suspect ingredient: 100 tonnes of iron sulphate. An American entrepreneur with a controversial past in geoengineering dumped the iron dust into the Pacific near the Haida Gwaii islands...

Environmental controversy erupts on Canada’s Pacific coast

Satellite images show a massive artificial plankton bloom off the Haida Gwaii islands after 100 tonnes of iron sulphate was dumped there. by Raveena Aulakh (Toronto Star) The Pacific Ocean, just off Canada’s west coast, has a new suspect ingredient: 100 tonnes of iron...

Geo-engineering: green versus greed in the race to cool the planet

by John Vidal The alert on the Climate Ark website in January 2009 was marked urgent: "Take action: A rogue science ship is poised to carry out risky experimental fertilisation of the Southern Ocean. This is likely [to be] the first of many coming attempts to begin...

Ocean fertilization experiment suspended

German science ministry demands environmental assessment before nutrient dumping can begin. by Quirin Schiermeier (Nature) The German science ministry has suspended a planned Indo–German ocean fertilization experiment in the Southern Ocean, and asked the German...

Ocean fertilization experiment draws fire

Indo-German research cruise sets sail despite criticism. by Quirin Schiermeier (Nature) A German research ship laden with 20 tonnes of iron sulphate has whipped up a storm of protest as it sails towards the Antarctic, where it intends to dump its cargo into the ocean....

Convention discourages ocean fertilization

International treaty aims to put rules on geoengineering. by Quirin Schiermeier (Nature) The parties to the London Convention, an international treaty that governs ocean pollution, have agreed that large-scale ocean ‘fertilization’ isn't yet justified, given gaps in...

WWF opposes dumping of urea in Sulu Sea

by Jerome Aning (Inquirer) MANILA, Philippines -- The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) added its voice Saturday to the growing number of environmental groups opposing the dumping of urea in Sulu Sea. “The potential environmental impact of dumping 500 tons of urea...

London Convention: Climate campaigners oppose meddling with the oceans

Indymedia UK On Monday 5th November climate change campaigners from Camp for Climate Action, Rising Tide and BioFuel Watch took action against geo-engineering (deliberate modification of Earth's environment on a large scale) companies who are hoping to make a great...

Planktos is a No Show in the Galapagos

by Sea Shepherd The Planktos ship and its cargo of 100 tons of iron ore dust was scheduled to begin deployment of its controversial cargo the first week of August. It was for this reason that Sea Shepherd Conservation Society decided to keep our ship the Farley Mowat...

Plan to Dump Iron in Ocean as Climate Fix Attracts Debate

by Kelly Hearn (National Geographic News) Global warming is heating up opportunities for companies that can find ways to pull carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere and sell "carbon credits" on emerging markets. But one company's attempt to dip its toes into...

Iron to Plankton To Carbon Credits

Firm's Emission Plans Have Critics Aplenty by Steven Mufson (Washington Post) A small California company is planning to mix up to 80 tons of iron particles into the Pacific Ocean 350 miles west of the Galapagos islands to see whether it can make a splash in the...

ECUADOR: Doubts Surround Carbon Absorption Project Near Galapagos

by Stephen Leahy (IPS News) PUERTO AYORA, Galápagos, Ecuador, Jul 13 2007 (IPS) - Later this month a U.S. company, Planktos Inc., plans to dump 100 tonnes of iron dust into the ocean near Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands, despite opposition from environmental groups and...

WWF condemns Planktos Inc. iron-seeding plan in the Galapagos

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today announced its opposition to a plan by Planktos Inc. to dump iron dust in the open ocean west of the Galapagos Islands. The experiment seeks to induce phytoplankton blooms in the hopes that the microscopic marine plants will absorb...

Company plans ‘eco’ iron dump off Galapagos

by Catherine Brahic (New Scientist) Update 25 June 2007: The scientific working group of the London Convention expressing its concern regarding "the potential for large-scale ocean iron fertilisation to have negative impacts on the marine environment and human health"...