Offset Outlaws

A Silicon Valley company called Planktos is preparing to seed thousands of square kilometers of Pacific Ocean near the Galapagos with tons of iron particles as part of a for-profit carbon-offsetting scheme. The idea is this: Iron fertilization stimulates the growth of plankton which in turn draw CO2 out of the atmosphere and into the deep ocean, where it will stay for a long, long time. That's the theory, anyway.

Alas, it may not be so simple. Many researchers are questioning the efficacy of the method for drawing down carbon and say it could exacerbate ocean acidification. Meanwhile, the EPA is warning that seeding without a permit may be illegal. Undeterred, Planktos says it will fly a flag of convenience if the EPA attempts to intervene with what it calls its "Voyage of Recovery."

The controversy points to one of the more glaring problems with the idea of geo-engineering solutions to climate change: When it comes to tweaking planetary systems, who decides the what, when, where and how?