Greenpeace ship heads to Oslo to fight CO2 dumping
Date: 17-Jul-02
Country: NORWAY
Truls Gulowsen said Greenpeace was due to host a meeting onboard the ship on Wednesday between the Norwegian Environment Ministry, researchers and environment groups, aiming to stop the pilot project, designed to test disposing of CO2 in the ocean.
A consortium of research institutions from the United States, Norway, Canada, Australia and Japan, which fund the project, has decided to put the plan on hold while the ministry considers its environmental, political and legal impacts.
The project to test ocean dumping of CO2 - a climate gas known to damage the ozone layer - was originally scheduled to start this summer, to determine whether the method is feasible in reducing emissions to the atmosphere.
"This experiment threatens international law designed to stop the ocean being used as a dumping ground. It must never happen," Gulowsen told Reuters.
"We are very satisfied that the project is put on hold, but it is still important to spread the message that this is totally unacceptable," he said.
Greenpeace says CO2 dumping causes acidification as a result of the reaction with water, forming carbon acids. This in turn harms fish and other marine organisms in the sea and on the seabed.
A similar project has already been rejected by Hawaii due to public protest, Greenpeace said.
It said the dumping of industrial waste at sea, including CO2 derived from fossil fuel use, is illegal under the London Convention and the OSPAR Convention - both of which Norway is a member.
