The better world we seek is not Geo-engineered! A Civil Society Statement against Ocean Fertilization

The better world we seek is

not Geo-engineered!

A Civil Society Statement against Ocean Fertilization

Since the World Social Forum last met in Nairobi in January 2007, civil society organizations from around the globe have confronted an alarming new threat to our rights and biodiversity: the threat of unjust and high risk geo-engineering schemes and specifically ocean fertilization. We are facing off against several multimillion-dollar private and government-backed projects that aim to re-engineer our climate and oceans. We will soon face other attempts to intentionally alter our soils, deserts and other ecosystems on a large scale in the name of climate protection and profit-making, including the lucrative carbon trade.

In June 2007, we learned that Planktos Corporation of USA was planning to dump iron in the oceans west of the Galapagos Islands in order to fertilize the sea to spur the growth of plankton blooms. Concerted civil society action prevented this dump and forced Planktos out of business. In November 2007 we learned that another ocean fertilization outfit, Ocean Nourishment Corporation of Australia, was intending to dump hundreds of tons of industrially produced urea in the Sulu Sea in the Southern Philippines. Once again concerted action by hundreds of civil society groups put a stop to that dangerous experiment. Even as some of us meet in Belém, a German-Indian expedition, codenamed LOHAFEX, is dumping iron sulphate over 300 square kilometres of water in the Scotia Sea. LOHAFEX is flouting an international moratorium on such experiments and acting against the wishes of the German Environment Minister. We have also learned that geo-engineers closely linked to Ocean Nourishment Corporation will be trying again to dump urea – this time in the Tasman Sea near Australia – in early March and that Climos, Inc. of the USA are in the planning stages of another dump.

We, the undersigned are opposed to the LOHAFEX experiment currently taking place in the Scotia Sea and all other ocean fertilization schemes. We call on the world's governments and civil society:


•    To strengthen the global moratorium on ocean fertilization agreed to at the 2008 meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity to ensure that LOHAFEX will be the last ocean fertilization experiment that goes ahead.

•    To oppose ocean fertilization and other high-risk geo-engineering schemes as potentially devastating to people and ecosystems and the wrong answer to climate change.

•    To oppose the geo-engineers who want to turn our oceans into a vast, open-air experiment and the carbon credit profiteers who support this for the purpose of carbon-trading.


We remind geo-engineers and their backers that not only is our world not for sale – it is not for them to tinker with either.

The fundamental solutions to the climate crisis lie in the protection and stewardship of our forests, oceans and soils, respect for the rights and practices of indigenous peoples, small farmers and forest peoples, and putting an end to all forms of over-consumption. The way forward lies in choosing truly renewable, equitable and non-exploitative forms of energy and other climate change responses that do not involve risky techno-fixes and carbon trading. Ocean fertilization and other unjust and high risk geo-engineering schemes are the wrong answer to the challenge of global climate change.

The better world we seek is not geo-engineered!

Signed as of March 10 2009:
ABA Agroecología, Brazil
Acción por la Biodiversidad, Argentina
African Center for Biosafety, South Africa
Asociación Amigos Museu do Morajó, Brazil
Biofuelwatch, UK
BUKO Agrar Koordination, Germany
CAA/NK , Brazil
CABIO UFV, Brazil
Carbon Trade Watch, UK
Casifop – Centro de Análisis Social, Mexico
Centro Ecológico Ipé, Brazil
CEPEDES - Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas para o Desenvolvimento,  Brazil
CESTA -Amigos de la Tierra el Salvador, El Salvador
CEUTA –Centro Uruguayo Tecnologias Apropiadas, Uruguay
Climate Justice in Copenhagen, Denmark
COECOCEIBA -Amigos de la Tierra Costa Rica, Costa Rica
Colectivo "La Rueda", Bolivia
Comunidad de Estudios Jaina, Bolivia
Consumers Association of Penang, Malaysia
Delhi Platform on Climate Change, India
Ecological Internet, USA
Ecologistas en Acción, Spain
Edmonds Institute, USA
ESPLAR –Centro de Pesquisa e Assessoria, Brasil
ETC Group, International
FASE / Articulacao Nacional de Agroecologia, Brazil
FETAGRI-Povep, Brazil
Forum Brasileiro de Seguranza Alimentaria e Nutricional, Brazil
Forum Ecosol, Brazil
Friends of the Earth Australia, Australia
Friends of the Earth Germany, Germany
Friends of the Earth Malaysia, Malaysia
Friends of the Earth Nigeria Oriental, Nigeria
Friends of the Earth Spain, Spain
Friends of the Earth US, USA
Fundación Eco Urbano, Argentina
Fundacion M'Biguá, Ciudadanía y Justicia Ambiental, Argentina
Fundación Proyectos Ambientales "PROA", Argentina
Global Coral Reef Alliance, USA
Global Justice Ecology Project, USA
GRAIN, International
Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, AC, Mexico
Grupo Semillas, Colombia
Guerreros Verdes AC, Mexico
ICTA –Int’l Center for Technology Assessment, USA
INPA –Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia, Brasil
Institut e Laburo, Guyana
Institute for Security Studies, South Africa
Movimiento de Agricultura Orgánica Costarricense, Costa Rica
Movimiento de Salud de los Pueblos/ Latinoamerica, Nicaragua
Navdanya / Research Foundation for Science, India
Oil Watch/Acción Ecológica, Ecuador
People’s Health Organization, South Africa
Programa Chile Sustentable, Chile
Recid –Rede Cidadá, Brasil
Red de Coordinación en Biodiversidad, Costa Rica
Rede FALZ, Brasil
REDES-Amigos de la Tierra, Uruguay
Referentin für Biodiversität, Germany
Regional Latinoamerica Unión Internal. Trabajadores Agrícolas y otros, Brazil
Rettet den Regenwald e.V., Germany
Rising Tide North America (RTNA), USA/Canada
SASOP/Articulacao Nacional de Agroecologia, Brasil
Schützt die Allmende!, Germany
SEAP –Secretaria Especial de Acuicultura e Pesa, Brasil
Searice, Philipines
Seeds Action Network, Germany
Sherpa, France
SUFO-Foro Social y Ecología de Suiza Oriental, Suiza
Sustainable Energy Economy Network, USA
Taller Ecologista Argentina, Argentina
Technology and Ecology, India
The Cornerhouse, UK
The GAIA Foundation, UK
Third World Network, Malaysia
Tierra Viva Red Bolivia Libre de Transgénicos, Bolivia
Timberwatch Coalition, South Africa
TNI, Netherlands
Tourism Investigation & Monitoring Team, Thailand
Unidad Ecológica  Salvadoreña UNES, El Salvador
Unión de Organizaciones de la Sierra Juarez de Oaxaca, Mexico
USP-POLI, Brazil
World Hunger Year, USA
World Rainforest Movement, International