Begin forwarded message: > > London Convention Puts Brakes on Ocean Geoengineering > > ETC Group > News Release > 9 November 2007 > www.etcgroup.org > > London Convention Puts Brakes on > Ocean Geoengineering > Risky ocean fertilisation schemes "not justified," require > oversight and regulation, says international maritime body > > In a shot across the bows of geoengineering companies, the London > Convention (the International Maritime Organization body that > oversees dumping of wastes at sea) today unanimously endorsed a > scientific statement of concern on ocean fertilisation and declared > its intention to develop international regulations to oversee the > controversial activities. It further advised states that such large- > scale schemes are "currently not justified." > > "We applaud the London Convention for addressing a major gap in > global governance," said David Santillo, of Greenpeace > International's Science Unit who attended the London Convention > meeting this week. "The Parties meeting here this week confirmed > that large-scale ocean fertilization schemes are not scientifically > justified and they urged governments to exercise utmost caution > when considering such proposals," said Santillo. > > Geoengineering refers to intentional large-scale manipulation of > land, ocean or atmosphere in an attempt to 'fix' climate change. > The governments meeting at the London Convention were confronted > with a rash of private 'carbon trading' schemes that claim to > sequester greenhouse gases by dumping large quantities of iron, > urea or other additives into the sea. These techniques, known > collectively as "ocean fertilisation," claim to draw climate change > gases out of the atmosphere by prompting growth of plankton. The > geoengineers seek to win 'carbon credits' as a financial reward for > these activities - despite the fact that international scientific > bodies have warned of potentially devastating ecological > consequences for marine ecoystems. > > The historic decision of the international body meeting in London > this week came just as one controversial ocean fertilisation > company, Planktos, Inc., announced it had set sail from Florida, > USA to dump iron in the ocean at an undisclosed location, possibly > west of the Galapagos islands. A second private geoengineering > outfit, Ocean Nourishment Corporation (ONC) of Australia, caused > uproar this week in the Philippines with the discovery of a > proposal to dump industrial urea in the ecologically sensitive Sulu > Sea region. ONC is reportedly in discussions with the government of > Morocco on another proposed dump. Meanwhile, a third private > geoengineering firm, Climos, Inc. of USA, attended the London > Convention meeting where it proposed a voluntary "code of conduct" > for ocean fertilisation - a proposal met with little enthusiasm. > > "Geoengineering profiteers should have no right to alter the ocean > commons for their private gain. Until now they've been exploiting > the lack of international governance," said Jim Thomas of ETC > Group. "The London Convention is sending a clear message to > geoengineering cowboys that ocean-dumping schemes are > scientifically unjustified and must be regulated. We welcome the > London Convention's decisions on ocean-based geoengineering. We > urge governments meeting at the United Nations Framework Convention > on Climate Change in Bali next month, as well as the UN Convention > on Biological Diversity, to follow the London Convention's lead and > begin an international process to put all geoengineering > technologies under intergovernmental oversight," said Thomas. > > The London Convention decisions were greeted with enthusiasm in the > Philippines, where civil society organizations, small-scale fishers > and environmentalists are protesting a proposal by Ocean > Nourishment Corporation "to dump urea in the Sulu Sea. The groups > will hold a press conference on Monday 15 November in Manila to > outline concerns and actions in the region. > > "There's clearly an urgent need for international oversight," said > Neth Dano of Third World Network. "We were alarmed to discover that > a geoengineering company had already approached the Philippines > government. Although no permit has been issued yet, at least one > experimental dumping of urea has already occurred in the Sulu Sea - > without a permit, without environmental assessment, and without > public consent," said Dano. > > "The London Convention has taken a first, important step to > prevent these abuses," said Hope Shand of ETC Group. "However, we > maintain our call for a moratorium on large scale and commercial > geoengineering projects until there is public debate, > intergovernmental oversight and thorough assessment of social, > economic and environmental impacts," said Shand. "Geoengineering > techno-fixes are not an acceptable response to climate change." > > > Note to Editors: > > * International Maritime Organization news room: http://www.imo.org/ > Safety/mainframe.asp?topic_id=84 > * 5 November news release on Ocean Nourishment Corporation's > proposal to Philippines government available here: http:// > www.etcgroup.org/en/materials/publications.html?pub_id=659 > * Background on Geoengineering: http://www.etcgroup.org/en/ > materials/publications.html?pub_id=608 > * Background on Planktos, Inc.: http://www.etcgroup.org/en/ > materials/publications.html?pub_id=617 > > For further information, contact: > > Jim Thomas, ETC Group (Canada) - [EMAIL PROTECTED] +1 514 667-4932 > (office) or +1 514 516-5759 (cell) > Hope Shand, ETC Group (USA) - [EMAIL PROTECTED] +1 919 960-5767 > (office) > David Santillo, Greenpeace International (UK - attended London > Convention) [EMAIL PROTECTED] +44 (0)781 387 4489 (cell) > Neth Dano, Third World Network (Philippines) - > [EMAIL PROTECTED] +63 917 532-9369 (cell) > Ditdit Pelegrina, SEARICE (Philippines) - > [EMAIL PROTECTED] +63 2 433 7182 (office) or +63 917 > 793 8618 (cell) > > Text from London Convention meeting (5-9 November 2007) > > (1) Agreed text: "The Meetings agreed on: > > 1. endorsing the 'Statement of Concern'on large-scale ocean iron > fertilisation as agreed by the Scientific Groups;" > > 2. the scope of the work of the London Convention/London Protocol > includes ocean fertilization, as well as iron fertilization;" > > 3. the consideration of ocean fertilisation falls under the > competences of the LC/LP, in particular in relation to the > obligation of the Convention and Protocol to protect the marine > environment;" > > 4. LC/LP will further study the issue from the scientific and legal > perspectives with a view to its regulation;" > > 5. recognising that it is within the purview of each state to > consider proposals on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the > LC/LP, the LC29/LP2 urges States to use the utmost caution when > considering proposals for large-scale ocean fertilisation > operations. The LC/LP take the view that, given the present state > of knowledge regarding ocean fertilisation, such large-scale > operations are currently not justified;" > > _______________________________________________ > ETC Group mailing list > http://lists.etcgroup.org/mailman/listinfo/etcgroup
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