Consider the Ocean: Climate change’s invisible solution

[Greg Rau]

https://climatechoices.ca/consider-the-ocean/

"In contrast to land-based solutions, the global commons characteristic of the ocean offers opportunities for the benefits of carbon dioxide removal to be shared equitably amongst nations. However, this will require new governance frameworks. Other ocean resources beyond national jurisdiction, such as minerals, have led to international management and financial policy frameworks. Fisheries in ocean waters beyond national jurisdiction are the current focus of negotiation. The climate-relevant resource of the ocean’s carbon sink now justifies similar attention, urgently."

[Tom Goreau]

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, headquartered in my home town, Kingston, Jamaica, is the only venue in which such a treaty can be made.

 

One hundred and sixty seven countries, plus the EU and several observer nations have signed the Treaty, and only the US has refused.

 

Thomas J. F. Goreau, PhD
President, Global Coral Reef Alliance

Chief Scientist, Blue Regeneration SL
President, Biorock Technology Inc.

Technical Advisor, Blue Guardians Programme, SIDS DOCK

37 Pleasant Street, Cambridge, MA 02139

gor...@globalcoral.org
www.globalcoral.org
Skype: tomgoreau
Tel: (1) 617-864-4226 (leave message)

 

Books:

Geotherapy: Innovative Methods of Soil Fertility Restoration, Carbon Sequestration, and Reversing CO2 Increase

http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466595392

 

Innovative Methods of Marine Ecosystem Restoration

http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466557734

 

No one can change the past, everybody can change the future

 

It’s much later than we think, especially if we don’t think

 

Those with their heads in the sand will see the light when global warming and sea level rise wash the beach away

 

Geotherapy: Regenerating ecosystem services to reverse climate change

 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Carbon Dioxide Removal" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to CarbonDioxideRem...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/CarbonDioxideRemoval/718594A3-9FD2-4B40-8518-13A269FA73C8%40ucsc.edu.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Carbon Dioxide Removal" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to CarbonDioxideRem...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/CarbonDioxideRemoval/718594A3-9FD2-4B40-8518-13A269FA73C8%40ucsc.edu.

[Wil Burns]

It’s not entirely true that UNCLOS could be the only venue for such regulation. First of all, as Lezaun outlines in an excellent recent piece, some contemplated non-land based CDR could be effectuated in coastal areas and within EEZs, with the lion’s share of regulatory purview in the hands of national/state/local entities: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fclim.2021.684063/full. In the United States, for example, several startups have begun discussions with the agency folks responsible for implementing the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, and Canadian companies are in discussion with the federal government in this context also, see Romany Webb’s excellent recent report on Canada and marine CDR: https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/faculty_scholarship/2744/

 

 

There’s also the London Convention and its Protocol, the latter of which establishes a regulatory framework for marine geo. research. Of course, it hasn’t come into force yet, but even the London Convention’s resolutions in this context provide a good start. While the LC/LP has far more limited membership than UNCLOS, it does include as members most of the nations likely to engage in ocean CDR, including in the case of the Convention, even the United States! The CBD also has jurisdiction over ocean-based approaches, and has established a regulatory framework. We discussed UNCLOS and these other regimes in a report for the Centre for International Governance Innovation: https://www.cigionline.org/publications/governance-marine-geoengineering/, as did GESAMP in its marine geo report: http://www.gesamp.org/publications/high-level-review-of-a-wide-range-of-proposed-marine-geoengineering-techniques

 

Moreover, many have suggested that while UNCLOS, and the Biodiversity Beyond Jurisdiction treaty that is currently being negotiated under its purview, might provide the most comprehensive approach, it’s also possible that regional pollution regimes might play a role, ditto fishery regimes, and regional marine protected areas regimes.

 

If one buys the idea that polycentric regulation is sometimes optimal for regulating complex architectures of this nature, it’s also not entirely clear that we would want only one regime involved.

 

wil

 

WIL BURNS Visiting Professor Environmental Policy & Culture Program Northwestern University   Email: william...@northwestern.edu   Mobile: 312.550.3079   1808 Chicago Ave. #110 Evanston, IL 60208 https://epc.northwestern.edu/people/staff-new/wil-burns.html   Want to schedule a call? Click on one of the following scheduling links:  60-minute phone call: https://calendly.com/wil_burns/phone-call 30-minute phone call: https://calendly.com/wil_burns/30min 15-minute phone call: https://calendly.com/wil_burns/15min 60-minute Zoom session: https://calendly.com/wil_burns/60min 30-minute Zoom session: https://calendly.com/wil_burns/30-minute-zoom-call 15-minute Zoom session: https://calendly.com/wil_burns/15-minute-zoom-call   I acknowledge and honor the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa, as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations, upon whose traditional homelands Northwestern University stands, and the Indigenous people who remain on this land today.

 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/CarbonDioxideRemoval/C11FCE97-3B52-40B9-9B4E-3C16C73D575C%40globalcoral.org.

[Anton Alferness]

Wil

Thanksgiving for the write up and  including links. 

On your last point, given the current pile of well intentioned regulatory overlap with respect to the ocean... I would argue that the US might unintentionally kill ocean CDR in its territorial waters if regulation isn't simplified and administered through no more than 2 or 3, but preferably one body. The uncertainty and cost/time hurdles with 6 or 7 permitting agencies on top of rightful indigenous partnership development and the NIMBY crowd lawsuits, make US ocean CDR a long shot and will likely scare off most investment, as it already has.

With other regulatory bodies, there are well understood, streamlined approval processes (notice I didn't say simple)... FDA, SEC, FAA, etc.

I think we can do better, tho a tall task to be sure... and goverment isn't known for smart reductions in complexity or process (and I am a left leaning communist who is antifa curious saying that).

Ocean CDR in Canada is the future. 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/CarbonDioxideRemoval/BL0PR04MB470504F7596FBEF3BCD37F13A4579%40BL0PR04MB4705.namprd04.prod.outlook.com.

[Wil Burns]

Dear Anton,

 

I’m in full agreement about your point in terms of a multiplicity of regulatory nodes in the US, which is certainly possible. What I can say is that my recent interactions with regulatory agencies in the U.S. encourages me that there’s recognition in the government also of this, and there are efforts to address this issue as part of the Carbon Negative Shot.

I think that some of the initial proposals from start-ups for research in U.S. coastal waters may help us to hone and simplify this process; at least that’s my hope. And I say that as a fellow lefty 😊

[Chris Vivian]

Tom,

 

According to the table on the UN DOALOS website information I just looked at, UNCLOS has been signed/ratified by 182 countries plus the EU. There are a number of coastal countries besides the US who have not done so:

Cabo Verde

Eritrea

Israel

Peru

Turkey

Venezuela

 

In addition, there are 7 land-locked states that have not signed. There a lot of land-locked states that have signed up.

 

Chris.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/CarbonDioxideRemoval/C11FCE97-3B52-40B9-9B4E-3C16C73D575C%40globalcoral.org.