It is interesting that they included some vague wordage about potential harm in the definition of "geoengineering":
Marine geoengineering is defined as “a deliberate intervention in the marine environment to manipulate natural processes, including to counteract anthropogenic climate change and/or its impacts, and that has the potential to result in deleterious effects, especially where those effects may be widespread, long-lasting or severe”. This is an interesting definition, as interventions that do not have "the potential to result in deleterious effects, especially where those effects may be widespread, long-lasting or severe", would by definition not be considered "geoengineering". One could imagine that a device that did CO2-removal from seawater might not be considered to be "geoengineering" under this definition if the device could be shown to have no widespread, long-lasting or severe deleterious effects. However, the wording is vague enough to provide a full-employment program for lawyers. PS. The London Convention and London Protocol do not cover "dumping" into the ocean from land. _______________ Ken Caldeira Carnegie Institution for Science Dept of Global Ecology 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305 USA +1 650 704 7212 [email protected] http://dge.stanford.edu/labs/caldeiralab https://twitter.com/KenCaldeira On Fri, Oct 18, 2013 at 5:04 PM, Greg Rau <[email protected]> wrote: > “Contracting Parties shall not allow the placement of matter into the sea > from vessels, aircraft, platforms or other man-made structures at sea for > marine geoengineering activities listed in Annex 4, unless the listing > provides that the activity or the sub-category of an activity may be > authorized under a permit”. > > So matter can be place in the sea from coastal manmade or natural > structures (e.g. a river) for marine geoengineering activities? > > "The London Protocol prohibits the dumping of wastes and other matter at > sea.." > > What about the 9+ GT/yr of our CO2 that we dump in the sea via the > atmosphere? Where are the Planet Police when you need them? > > Greg > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Andrew Lockley <[email protected]> > *To:* geoengineering <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Friday, October 18, 2013 4:24 PM > *Subject:* [geo] Marine Geoengineering to be Regulated Under Amendments > to International Treaty > > > http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/Marine-Geoengineering-to-be-Regulated-Under-Amendments-to-International-Treaty-2013-10-18/ > > Marine Geoengineering to be Regulated Under Amendments to International > Treaty > > 35th Consultative Meeting of Contracting Parties to the Convention on the > Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972 > (London Convention) 8th meeting of Contracting Parties to the 1996 Protocol > thereto (London Protocol) > > BY MAREX > > Marine geoengineering, including ocean fertilization, will be regulated > under amendments to the 1996 Protocol to the international treaty which > regulates the dumping of wastes and other matter at sea. > > > The amendments, adopted on Friday by Parties to the 1996 Protocol to the > Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and > Other Matter, 1972, add a new article 6bis which states that “Contracting > Parties shall not allow the placement of matter into the sea from vessels, > aircraft, platforms or other man-made structures at sea for marine > geoengineering activities listed in Annex 4, unless the listing provides > that the activity or the sub-category of an activity may be authorized > under a permit”. > > > Marine geoengineering is defined as “a deliberate intervention in the > marine environment to manipulate natural processes, including to counteract > anthropogenic climate change and/or its impacts, and that has the potential > to result in deleterious effects, especially where those effects may be > widespread, long-lasting or severe”. > > > A new Annex 4 on “Marine geoengineering” lists “Ocean fertilization”, > defined as “any activity undertaken by humans with the principal intention > of stimulating primary productivity in the oceans. Ocean fertilization > does not include conventional aquaculture, or mariculture, or the creation > of artificial reefs.” > > > The Annex provides that all ocean fertilization activities other than > those referred to above shall not be permitted. An ocean fertilization > activity may only be considered for a permit if it is assessed as > constituting legitimate scientific research taking into account any > specific placement assessment framework. > > > A new annex V adds the Assessment Framework for matter that may be > considered for placement under Annex 4. The Assessment framework provides > that Contracting Parties should consider any advice on proposals for > activities listed from independent international experts or an independent > international advisory group of experts. > > > The amendments will enter into force 60 days after two thirds of the > Contracting Parties have deposited an instrument of acceptance of the > amendment with IMO. (The London Protocol currently has 43 Parties.) > > > Mr. Stefan Micallef, Director, Marine Environment Division, International > Maritime Organization (IMO) commended the adoption of the amendment to > regulate the placement of matter for ocean fertilization and other marine > geoengineering activities. “This is a true testament to the fact that the > London Protocol continues to be among the most advanced international > regulatory instruments addressing human activities in the marine > environment and there is no doubt that this much-awaited amendment will be > appreciated by other international bodies. The amendment also reflects the > scientific-based approach of the London Convention and its 1996 Protocol,” > Mr. Micallef said. > > > Representatives of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on the > Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972 > (London Convention) and to the 1996 Protocol thereto (London Protocol), > were in London for their 35th/8th meeting, held from 14 to 18 October at > the Headquarters of IMO, which hosts the Office for the London Convention > and Protocol. > > > The London Protocol prohibits the dumping of wastes and other matter at > sea except for those on a short permitted list, for which permits must be > sought. > > > The adoption of amendments relating to marine geoengineering follows > discussion on the matter in previous LC/LP meetings. An agreement issued in > 2008 stated that ocean fertilization activities, other than legitimate > scientific research, should not be allowed. In 2010, the Parties approved > an “Assessment Framework for Scientific Research Involving Ocean > Fertilization.” > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "geoengineering" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "geoengineering" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. 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