A commencement speech that was delivered to the graduating class of the English Department at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign campus on May 15, 2010 by Dan Whaley.  It covers a wide range of subjects, a bit about climate, and none of them having to do with Ocean Iron Fertilization surprisingly.

For decades, researchers have studied how the ocean takes up atmospheric CO2 through the action of
phytoplankton that sequester carbon to the deep ocean as they continually bloom, die, and sink (a process call the “biological pump”). A large body of oceanographic research (e.g., [Boyd et al., 2007; Martin and Fitzwater, 1988]) and the geologic record [Winckler et al., 2008] indicate that the availability of iron, a micronutrient essential to photosynthesis in all plants, limits the growth of phytoplankton in large areas of the ocean. Three decades ago, John Martin and Steve Fitzwater proposed the “Iron Hypothesis”, i.e. that the deliberate addition of iron to stimulate phytoplankton growth could mimic the CO2 reduction during glacial maxima measured in ice core samples [Martin and Fitzwater, 1988]. Since 1993, twelve open ocean experiments have demonstrated that ocean iron fertilization (OIF) is one method of increasing phytoplankton biomass and, potentially increasing carbon sequestration. Given the threat posed by rapid climate change and the dominant role of the biologic pump in the Earth’s carbon cycle, it seems important that we determine conclusively whether the purposeful enhancement of oceanic carbon sinks, as well as terrestrial ones, is a possibility that is available to man—and what the impacts of doing so might be.

This document discusses the need for expanded research into OIF, highlights the key research questions, and presents some ideas on how this research can be conducted in an effective and environmentally responsible manner.

The potential use of ocean iron fertilization (OIF) as a tool for either carbon reduction projects like those used to generate carbon credits or offsets, or for larger-scale mitigation to remove a significant percentage of CO2 from the atmosphere has interested the private sector. Scientists have highlighted the additional research that must be completed to understand the efficacy and impact of OIF at either scale. Carbon markets also place requirements on the nature of the credits generated if they are to be trusted and valued. The challenge for the future is to find effective ways for the science, business and carbon market communities to collaborate in ways that adhere to the high standards of scientific research. A code of conduct that recognizes the needs for scientific excellence and transparency, carbon market quality controls, and regulatory requirements like permitting can facilitate
collaboration.

There has recently been an increase in interest in large‐scale ocean fertilization as a tool for sequestering significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphre.

• Along with the growing interest in this field, however, concerns have been raised about the potential risks to the marine environment that such activities might pose. Although the weight of scientific evidence indicates that these concerns can be addressed through appropriate project design measures, there is a clear need to move forward carefully in light of the sensitivity of marine ecosystems. Concerns have also been raised about the risks that might be posed by unscrupulous operators that do not adhere to minimum scientific or regulatory standards, about the lack of clear global regulatory guidance applicable to these activities, and about the difficulty of applying regulatory standards to ocean‐related activities that necessarily take place, for operational reasons, on the high seas in areas beyond national jurisdiction. In addition, concerns have been raised about the efficacy of iron fertilization and the permanence of CO2 seque stration from this technique.

• In response to these concerns, Climos^TM has offered a draft Code of Conduct that sets minimum environmental and operational standards for iron fertilization activities. An important goal of this effort is to encourage a broader process involving stakeholders from multiple sectors.

Discussion on the legal issues being considered by the London Convention.

A review of the questions raised by the Canadian submission to the London Convention Scientific Working Group meeting in Guayaquil, Ecuador, May 2008 (original Canadian review here)

Comments on the US Federal climate change Bill that reached the Senate floor in June 2008.

Allsopp and co-authors from Greenpeace Research Laboratories recently submitted a Technical Report on ocean iron fertilization (OIF) as a contribution to the 2007 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Symposium on Ocean Iron Fertilization (Allsopp et al., 2007). The authors provide a brief review of the development of the OIF concept and the 12 publicly funded experiments that have taken place, followed by a more extensive discussion of “drawbacks” to OIF that they believe argue against any further development of the technique for carbon sequestration.  (original Greenpeace doc here).

Here Climos^TM responds in detail to each of the concerns raised, with extensive references and background material provided.

The Conceptual Model is the first stage of the formal Environmental Impact Assessment on OIF being conducted by Tetratech.  It reviews the state of scientific knowledge around OIF, and highlights the questions and concerns that must be addressed in the EIA as well as through future scientific research. The full conceptual model will be released late summer 2008.

Published by the International Emissions Trading Association (December 2007). Description of how OIF can be incorporated into a carbon market framework by generating carbon credits. Addresses issues such as additionality, permanence, measurement techniques.