A Rogue Climate Experiment Outrages Scientists
By Henry Fountain
The New York Times
October 18, 2012
A California businessman chartered a fishing boat in
July, loaded it with 100 tons of iron dust and cruised through Pacific waters
off western Canada, spewing his cargo into the sea in an ecological experiment
that has outraged scientists and government officials.
The entrepreneur,
whose foray came to light only this week, even duped the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration in the United States into lending him
ocean-monitoring buoys for the project.
Canada’s environment ministry says it is investigating
the experiment, which was carried out with no government or scientific
oversight. A spokesman said the ministry had warned the venture in advance that
its plan would violate international agreements.
Marine scientists and other experts have assailed the experiment as unscientific, irresponsible and probably in violation of those agreements, which are intended to prevent tampering with ocean ecosystems under the guise of trying to fight the effects of climate change.
Marine scientists and other experts have assailed the experiment as unscientific, irresponsible and probably in violation of those agreements, which are intended to prevent tampering with ocean ecosystems under the guise of trying to fight the effects of climate change.
Though the environmental impact of the foray could well
prove minimal, scientists said, it raises the specter of what they have long
feared: rogue field experiments that might unintentionally put the environment
at risk.
LINK (via: NY Times) |
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Tonnes of iron dumped into ocean off B.C. coast
Featuring video from CTVNews.ca
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