This climateark campaign is an extremely irresponsible and alarmist action. Without proper scientific research we have little change of avoiding dangerous climate change. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_geoengineering

The environmental community should be supporting action to research and reverse climate change, not burying its head in the sand and hoping the problem will go away. Even if emissions cuts were happening (which they're not), then it would probably already be too late to save the Arctic ice and the methane it holds back.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoengineering

You morons. That isn't a rogue ship...it's one of the best marine science research groups in the world.

You are no different than anti-science religious fantatics. You seek to keep the world ignorant. May you drown in your lies.

I have supported several your actions, but not this one, sorry.
If there is a method to return the organic carbon, coming from fossil sediments, back to ocean bottom sediments, it must be at least tested. I support the experiment of the team of Polarstern.

This is madness. The Earth is too complex to be carrying out planetary scale experiments like this and not risk terrible consequences. It gives a false sense of possibility when we know it is not possible to tinker effectively with the biosphere. Can any one that wishes just carry out huge experiments upon the Earth, without any form of oversight?

You guys really missed the mark on this one. The Polarstern is not a rogue ship. This is not a global scale experiment. The goal is to improve understanding of ocean ecology with a modest experiment which will have consequences for a tiny fraction of the ocean for a few weeks. Time is running out to understand how natural ecosystems function. If you succeed in stopping experiments like this, we may never learn.

Your "Rogue German Ship" campaign is completely uninformed. This is a legitimate, small-scale research experiment and not a geoengineering experiment. If the environmental movement prevents legitimate research to gain understanding our marine environment, then we are certainly all doomed. Please inform yourselves about the nature and goals of this experiment and then cancel your campaign immediately and publicly. It is your civic responsibility to do so.

The purpose of the research cruise is to find out what role iron plays in marine biogeochemistry. In no way is it an attempt to geo-engineer the planet. If you are against using iron to geo-engineer then you should be supporting this and similar research experiments. Since only by knowing the facts can you argue effectively against such geo-engineering proposals. Their proponents will certainly have done their homework better than you appear to have done. Emotion and opinion will not win the argument, knowledge and understanding will.

I note with interest the thoughts of those enamored with planetary geo-engineering, and believe a few small points should be made in response. Firstly, there is a UN moratorium on ocean fertilization arrived at this past May, thus the reference to a "rogue" ship. Does anyone deny that? This would seem to make sense that any group of scientists or companies that wish cannot just go out and do an experiment or commercial geo-engineering venture that risks large-scale ecosystem harm, or even damage to the entire biosphere, without some sort of approval mechanism.

Secondly, given the commercial interest in ocean fertilization, does anyone believe that this experiment will not be used as justification for even larger-scale implementation? This experiment precedes commercial application and efforts to use the oceans as a waste dump in carbon markets. And finally, the oceans are faced with huge problems from ocean acidification to over-fishing and should not be treated so cavalierly. I repeat, there is a moratorium on these planetary experiments, and this is illegal until there is international consensus to take a gamble upon geo-engineering. We are not yet there.
Dr. Glen Barry

People seem to forget that all of our current environmental problems stem from the use of science.

Climate change is only one of many extreme threats to our ecology caused by the wisdom of science and technology, along with pollution, overpopulation and borrowing from the future means that our very survival is under threat.

It's not just the CO2 in the atmosphere (or oceans for that matter) it is whether or not we are sustainable.

And sustainability will only be achieved by a cultural change not by technology.

Here is the press release from the The Alfred Wegener Institute. Contrary to the concerns expressed by other posters that this is just about basic science, it makes clear it is meant to evaluate "the potential role of ocean fertilization as a means of reducing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere." So much for this being about basic science. This is the beginning of planetary geo-engineering and making the oceans into carbon dumps.

LOHAFEX: An Indo-German iron fertilization experiment - What are the effects on the ecology and carbon uptake potential of the Southern Ocean?
http://www.awi.de/en/news/press_releases/detail/item/lohafex_an_indo_german_iron_fertilization_experiment_what_are_the_effects_on_the_ecology_and_carb/?cHash=2191f49105

Your protest is utterly predictable. You are just afraid that this or some other technical solution just might work. Then you wont be able to force us back to the dark ages where we can all commune with nature in absolute poverty.

It is because of nutters like you that sceptics thrive!

“technological ‘ad hoc’ solutions to environmental problems are insidious short-term ‘corrections’ that permit causes to grow stronger and become more compounded”
Grgory Bateson 1972

We've really all gone totally nuts...

The to date lack of action to slow up climate change justifies such trials even though they may have an element of risk.

we are in dire straits but isn't that just because we have always trusted in science and technology to solve our problems? That way we do not have to take personal responsibility and that seems to be the flavour these days. We need to consider not only our immediate future but the future of generations to come. Every action causes a reaction, is it really wise to do these experiments?

The planet is in desperate straits. If we could magically stop all GHG emissions today, we would still need to stimulate Gaia's carbon sinks. Ocean carbon sinks are failing, and it is possible that they need help. This is a perfectly reasonable experiment imo.

Too much hype-Let them carry on the experiment

So Ron, the UN moratorium on such activities doesn't matter? I guess that means that anyone that wants to experiment with the Earth System can do whatever they want?
Glen

It's really sad that you missed the importance of the experiment.
Actually, these scientists pursue the same objectives as you do - simply said: to save our planet. But these brave people really DO something for that and that is research. You just seem to be against everything in general! And in case you didn't get it... the Alfred-Wegener-Institute is NOT financed by the industry.
So, get up and find the real environmental sinners!