THE PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL OCEAN STATION

           

The next frontier for Humanity is not Space, but the Ocean. 

WHEREAS, 71% of our Earth’s surface is water, and three-quarters of the heat of the Sun shining daily on Earth is stored as thermal energy in the oceans.  By pumping or upwelling cold deep waters to warm surface waters for ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) into electricity, the thermal energy potential of the oceans would in theory be equal to 10,000 times the total energy currently used by mankind, indefinitely, at all times of the day and year.

WHEREAS, just a portion of the energy that could be generated from OTEC conversion could be used to desalinate potable water to supply the needs of human populations of the world.

WHEREAS, deep ocean waters store vast concentrations of dissolved minerals that if brought to the surface could act as natural fertilizer for growing 3.5 billion dry tons of new marine biomass annually from just 1% of the ocean’s surface.  This would be equal to 3 times the total terrestrial biomass that can be collected annually on land in the U.S.  It would also represent about 1 billion tons of carbon sequestration annually.

WHEREAS, each ton of marine biomass could be cleanly processed into 400 gallons of clean fuels such as methanol, green diesel, ammonia or hydrogen, and the biomass residue can be further processed into organic fertilizers, protein-rich animal and fish feeds, bioactive pharmaceuticals and other high-value marine co-products.

WHEREAS, pumping or upwelling cold ocean water to the surface in volumes sufficient for OTEC energy production could improve the world’s environment through cooling surface water temperatures to prevent the formation of typhoons and hurricanes, and absorbing large volumes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to reduce global warming.

WHEREAS, pumping or upwelling cold ocean water to the surface could have a beneficial effect of nutrient enrichment in euphotic zones of ocean waters to stimulate marine life growth and enhance marine food chains to revitalize the world’s wild fish stocks.

WHEREAS, current technologies exist that could be deployed on integrated platforms in the oceans to produce all of these ocean energy, potable water, clean fuels, sea food, and bioproduct benefits.  However, field testing and operational research on these technologies need to be conducted in the ocean in order to refine and optimize them for economically justified, widespread use throughout the world.

            WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii is in an ideal location of tropical ocean waters in the Pacific Ocean, and can build upon its unique assets in ocean and OTEC research, commercial fisheries, traditional and current knowledge in aquaculture, and state and federal government agency support to promote international cooperative research for optimization of ocean resources technologies for the benefit of the world and our Planet Earth.

NOW, THEREFORE, WE SUPPORTERS OF BLUE REVOLUTION HAWAII, (“BRH”) a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization, declare as our vision, that:

1.  We advocate the building of the PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL OCEAN STATION (PIOS) in Hawaii’s ocean waters as the world’s first floating island supporting international cooperative research on sustainable and environmentally beneficial, ocean resources development.

            2.  To promote international cooperation and tap some of the best ocean thermal conditions in the world, PIOS is to be deployed in extra-territorial waters southwest of the Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (out to 200 miles) bounding the State of Hawaii.

            3.  PIOS is to be supported on a large artificial island (about 2 miles in diameter) having a floating understructure engineered to weather ocean waves, storms, and tsunamis.  It could have in the range of 1500 acres of surface area for research activities, and residential quarters sufficient to accommodate 5,000 or more international researchers and visitors.

            4.  To the extent practicable, all live/work activities on PIOS should be designed and managed to be environmentally protective, zero-emission, carbon-reducing, and closed-recycling enabled.

            5.  PIOS will invite and host important research activities of ocean universities, institutions, and agencies from other countries in international partnership under an international cooperative research agreement. 

            6.  BRH will seek to orchestrate private philanthropic, inter-governmental and research partnership funding support for design, building and deployment costs of the PIOS platform.  Research partners will be given priority for conducting research activities on the PIOS platform, and will be assessed only allocated incremental costs of hosting their activities.

            7.  BRH plans as target dates: April 2013 for securing the necessary funding commitments for PIOS platform deployment; April 2014 for start of construction; October 2015 for completion and deployment of the PIOS platform in Hawaii’s ocean waters; and April 2016 for start of research activities of its international research partners.

 

8.  BRH plans to host a Pacific International Ocean Station Summit Conference in October 2013 to promote international cooperation for realization of PIOS, to which its international research partners, funding sources, inter-governmental agencies, and enthusiastic supporters will be invited.

April 29, 2011

THE BLUE REVOLUTION HAWAII TEAM