New Web Site, Same Unanswered Questions

In addition to resuscitating itself with a new name and new web design, San Francisco-based Planktos Science (formerly Planktos) has decided to step up the defense of it's reputation and spurious science by confronting blogosphere naysayers directly. Case in point, Craig over on Deep Sea News has just received a retort to his post on the reappearance of Planktos as Planktos Science. But man, do they need to put someone other than their president, Russ George, behind the keyboard. Word up, Mr. George, you need to save some money on your web design and invest in a PR consultant as you're not really strengthening your cause.

You can head over to Deep Sea News to catch-up on George's rather long paragraph of accusations of how Planktos--and now Planktos Science--has suffered unfair scrutiny and "strawman attacks" for what he sees as pioneering ocean restoration. Yet with all the new rhetoric and dollars apparently dumped into filling a new website with content, old unanswered questions still remain.

Craig's questions as to potential adverse affects to benthic communities from iron dumping are also awaiting a response. But Craig and I are not the only ones befuddled. Miriam has unanswered questions about Planktos. So does Popular Science. And last I checked, Earth2Tech was still waiting for some validation of Planktos' claims,

New web site, same questions: Who are the credible oceanographers that are associated with this effort? Where are the studies, and the modeling for the projects he has proposed? Who will lead the cruise–Russ? Where is the funding and what is the business model? Russ George seems to be a curiosity– a distraction to the real science involved.

I'll get in line for the time that George intends to fully articulate the science behind the hype. But I'm afraid that accusing your critics of having a lack of vision and faith in your unproven (and potentially deleterious methods) is just not sufficient grounds for giving Planktos the benefit of the doubt.

Look, I'm all for solutions to our climate crisis. But dubious, untenable assertions and bad science is not helping any of our efforts. Particularly with a public that is already skeptical of what science has to say.

And as to George's sign-off in his post on Deep Sea News that "ranting and lying about those who actually do things is way easier than actually doing something productive for the benefit of the planet," all I have to say is come spend a week in my shoes, Mr. George. Some of us don't have the luxury of selling promises, but actually need to demonstrate quantifiable results for the resources and support we solicit. If you'd really like to get your hands dirty and start producing results, shoot me your CV. I'm always on the lookout for fresh talent.