KEEP OUR SEA CHEMICAL FREE

What is geo-engineering


Geo-enginneering is Deliberate large-scale interventions in the Earth’s climate system.
The aim is to counteract climate change. 


So in simple terms:

Our planet is undergoing rapid and dangerous global heating caused by way too much Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere. Humans are trying out various techniques (known collectively as geo-engineering) to pull CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) back out of the atmosphere and to store it long term.  This is also known as Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)

Another form of geo-engineering is trying to reflect sunlight back into space so that the earth stays cooler.

Geo-engineering Examples:

Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement – Marine CDR
Making seawater more alkaline so it can absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere

Direct Air Capture
Sucking carbon dioxide out of the air and then injecting it underground or using it for other purposes.

Biochar
Burning biomass (like wood products) in a low oxygen environment to make a charcoal-like substance and adding it to soils.

Stratospheric Aerosol Injection
Spraying sulfur dioxide and other aerosols into the atmosphere to block the sun.

Artic Ice Management (part of Surface Albedo modification)
Covering large areas of ice with a reflective material to reflect sunlight back into space to reduce surface temperatures.

Ocean fertilisation
Adding iron sulfate or other nutrients to produce blooms of phytoplankton to absorb and store C02

It all sounds great doesn’t it?  

Problem solved – we can all carry on as usual.  

But it’s just not that easy. 


Our planet’s oceans, soils and atmosphere are a complex and interconnected system.  There is the potential for geo-engineering to cause immense problems and it is important to keep this in mind when grand (unsubstantiated) claims are made about its potential. 

We are at a point of frothy excitement around geo-engineering and huge amounts of money flowing to it from big business, including the oil industry.  However bizarre and potentially dangerous, it seems like any random idea is being taken seriously and rushed into the testing stage.  Some companies have tested geo-engineering techniques in secret or with very little transparency. 

All this in the context of zero global regulation and a patchwork of national regulations not designed for geo-engineering at all.


Some cautionary tales

Some companies have exhibited a gung ho attitude to testing geo-engineering ideas.  The rationale seems to be 

“We’ve got this idea, it works in the lab and we need to test it regardless of what anyone else thinks because we are in a climate crisis and it’s an emergency“

plus 

“we can be climate heroes and make loads of money”

This cavailer attitude (maybe even arrogance) has led to some awful examples of geo-engineering experimentation.

  1. Ocean Fertilization was banned by the United Nations in 2008 (except for legitimate scientific research)  – this was prompted by the attempt in 2007  by Planktos Corporation  to carry out iron fertilisation experiments offshore of the Galapagos Islands in June of 2007. But individuals have flouted this ban. In 2012 – US businessman Russ George dumped iron into the open ocean in an attempt to revive a fishery.

  2. Planetary Technologies in St.Ives Bay
    A total lack of transparency about the initial test in St.Ives Bay (the first open sea testing of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) anywhere in the world).  Planetary Technologies (PT) and South West Water (SWW) made a deliberate decision not to inform the public about this test.  There were many issues with the experiment planned by PT and this initial lack of public accountability and transparency set the tone.

  3. Alameda California – April 2024
    Researchers testing a cloud brightening technique deliberately kept their experiment secret in case of public protest.  The city council then went on to ban the test following a public outcry – the lack of transparency and accountability meant they had lost faith in the researchers involved.

  4. The Arctic Ice Project (AIP) proposed to cover Arctic land and sea ice with billions of tiny hollow synthetic glass micro beads  in order to slow melting and/or restore ice.  In May 2022  A delegation of Alaska Native Organisations called on the California-based Arctic Ice Project to cease all research operations in the Arctic. The project was shut down in February 2025 due to danger to wildlife.

  5. The Running Tide Company – This ocean geo-engineering scheme was given millions by Shopify as well as Microsoft, Stripe, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Microsoft made a deal with the company in 2023 to offset its’ emissions. The Running Tide Company folded after a few years having changed its strategy to non kelp biomass sinking (they were now sinking woodchip) and OAE.