Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumPacific iron fertilisation is 'blatant violation' of international regulations
A controversial American businessman dumped around 100 tonnes of iron sulphate into the Pacific Ocean as part of a geoengineering scheme off the west coast of Canada in July, a Guardian investigation can reveal.
Lawyers, environmentalists and civil society groups are calling it a "blatant violation" of two international moratoria and the news is likely to spark outrage at a United Nations environmental summit taking place in India this week.
Satellite images appear to confirm the claim by Californian Russ George that the iron has spawned an artificial plankton bloom as large as 10,000 square kilometres. The intention is for the plankton to absorb carbon dioxide and then sink to the ocean bed a geoengineering technique known as ocean fertilisation that he hopes will net lucrative carbon credits.
George is the former chief executive of Planktos Inc, whose previous failed efforts to conduct large-scale commercial dumps near the Galapagos and Canary Islands led to his vessels being barred from ports by the Spanish and Ecuadorean governments. The US Environmental Protection Agency warned him that flying a US flag for his Galapagos project would violate US laws, and his activities are credited in part to the passing of international moratoria at the United Nations limiting ocean fertilisation experiments.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/15/pacific-iron-fertilisation-geoengineering
CRH
(1,553 posts)No permits needed! What could possible go wrong.
Nihil
(13,508 posts)He's nothing but a fucking con artist
> The dump took place from a fishing boat in an eddy 200 nautical miles west of the
> islands of Haida Gwaii, one of the world's most celebrated, diverse ecosystems,
> where George convinced the local council of an indigenous village to establish the
> Haida Salmon Restoration Corporation to channel more than $1m of its own funds
> into the project.
>
> "The village people voted to support what they were told was a 'salmon enhancement
> project' and would not have agreed if they had been told of any potential negative
> effects or that it was in breach of an international convention," Guujaaw said.
I detest rich bastards who trample over the environment in the search for a quick profit.
ProgressiveProfessor
(22,144 posts)Those are serious issues in these kind of events
happyslug
(14,779 posts)The Native America Tribe is in Canada and is considered a Dependent Domestic Nation of Canada. Dependent Domestic Nation is a term of art for legal entities that exist within the Nation-State Concept of a modern Nation-State (Such as the US Federal Government and its States and what is Canada).
Side note: US States are NOT Dependent Domestic Nations, for their are "Nation-States" as that term is used today. Each US State has given up its inherent power to the Federal Nation-State we call the US Government. Among these powers is control over any Dependent Domestic Nation, such as the various Native American Tribes that exists in the US. Canada has a similar situations with its Native American Tribes.
As a Dependent Domestic Nation, the tribe comes under the laws of the Nation State that controls the area they are located in. In this case Canada.
More on the US and Its Dependent Domestic Nations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribal_sovereignty_in_the_United_States
http://www.justice.gov/ag/readingroom/sovereignty.htm
Thus Canada has the right to bring charges as does the Tribe itself.
ProgressiveProfessor
(22,144 posts)which makes it international waters. That said, have not seen anything that pinpoints the location of the dumping.
happyslug
(14,779 posts)"Exclusive Economic Zone" is any ocean within 200 miles of a Nation's coast line that is NOT within a similar Zone by another Nation. When two nations "Exclusive Economic Zones" overlap, each country's "Exclusive Economic Zone" ends halfway between the two nations. This covers fishing, oil exploration or any other economic actions EXCEPT sailing a ship through the 200 mile limit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_waters
The US and Canada also uses a 24 nautical mile "Contiguous zone claims" where each can control activities that affect their coasts, even if is a ship board act (for example requiring all sewerage from the ship to meet Local Sewerage requirements, requiring any discharge of the bilges to meet local requirements etc). Prohibiting Gambling or broadcasting etc. Being able to be boarded to see if the ship is being used for Smuggling etc. The same rule as to situations where two nation's "Exclusive Economic Zone" overlap is used when two nations "Contiguous zone claims" overlap (i.e. both ends at the half way point or, as in the case of Canada and the US, extends out as if the border continued between the two nations).
The key in this case is the "Exclusive Economic Zone" covers this act for this was an economic activity and thus comes under the 200 mile limit not the shorter (and more restrictive) 24 and 12 mile limits.
Now within 12 miles of a Nation's Coast, those waters are viewed as integral within that nation's waters, including following all laws of that Nation (This is the Traditional Territorial limits).
Side note: In international Waters what happens on a Ship is governed by the Law of Nation the Ship is registered with. While the owner is an American, the Nationality of the Ship is not stated. If it is a US Ship (or a Ship of a Nation that permits the US Coast Guard to enforce American Law on its ships, such as Liberia and Panama) the the US has jurisdiction. If it is registered with Canada, then Canada. If it is registered with some other nation, that nation.
My comments is someone has jurisdiction over this act IF that government really wants to punish this act.
Map of Canada's "Exclusive Economic Zone"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_economic_zone#Canada
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_economic_zone
ProgressiveProfessor
(22,144 posts)And if it was 201 miles, it too would be inapplicable.
Also saw another thread that Canada may have had some fore knowledge of what was going to happen and chose to do nothing
The ship's flag does indeed matter though as you pointed out. No word on which flag it was flying. What actions can be taken are fairly limited.
Still looking for details on this and to see what action will be taken and by whom. It seems in many ways intentionally splitting splitting jurisdictional seams doing something national laws do not cover.
Nihil
(13,508 posts)>> the local council of an indigenous village
... in the jurisdiction of the victim.
(but yes, I do understand that American Exceptionalism means that you don't
really give a shit about anything that can cost a rich American money ...)
ProgressiveProfessor
(22,144 posts)Which if true is international waters and there is no nation state with jurisdiction. Thus my my question.
Not sure why your parenthetical slur was included.
I don't know what the guy's story is and I'm part Native American. I heard he originally wanted to use this technology to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and it's been proven to not work. You can get something like 1% of the CO2, you remove from the atmosphere to fall to the bottom of the oceans for removal and the rest is caught in the biosphere, only to be returned. I'll wait for the facts to assess the motive, but I think the tribes just want their salmon and way of life protected.
XemaSab
(60,212 posts)AverageJoe90
(10,745 posts)There are ways out there, that CAN sequester Co2 effectively, but this isn't one of them and I fear this guy may have added on to the problem.
Also, a warm welcome to DU. You are amongst friends here.