I made this argument at an LC/LP meeting. I said that iron fertilization is just a means but the goal is to dump CO2 pollution in the ocean, and that should be regulated not the dumping of iron directly.
This would allow a separation of legitimate scientific research from commercial activities, because there could be an assumption that if a carbon credit (or similar financial instrument) were sold, this would consitute prima facie evidence that a primary goal is to dump CO2 pollution in the ocean. Pure scientific research, where the goal was merely to increase understanding, would then not sell carbon credits and have a prima facie presumption of being legitimate scientific research. The presumption here is that primary risks come from unregulated scale-up and not a few legitimate scientific experiments. It is unfortunate that parties to the LC/LP did not take up this suggestion, as it gets around all of the slippery slope large-scale / small-scale issues and turns the question into a binary: Will carbon credits be sold based on the outcome of the proposed activity (or not)? _______________ 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 Sat, Oct 19, 2013 at 2:27 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > ** > Funnily, i thought the London Convention should limit the amount of CO2 > dumped into the ocean, causing ocean acidification. > Maybe they woke up to this by now. > Best wishes > Emily > Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone on O2 > ------------------------------ > *From: * Ken Caldeira <[email protected]> > *Sender: * [email protected] > *Date: *Fri, 18 Oct 2013 17:50:57 -0700 > *To: *RAU greg<[email protected]> > *ReplyTo: * [email protected] > *Cc: *[email protected]<[email protected]>; geoengineering< > [email protected]> > *Subject: *Re: [geo] Marine Geoengineering to be Regulated Under > Amendments to International Treaty > > 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. > 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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