Summary/Abstract
This Note examines the international law that could govern geoengineering programs, with a focus on ocean iron fertilization, and how international law must require that geoengineering be done on a multilateral scale and adhere to sound principles of international environmental law. The body of the Note examines geoengineering in detail and discusses current widely accepted international environmental law that might apply to geoengineering. It surveys the ways in which current international law might regulate geoengineering and argues that current international law is insufficient to avoid the potential hazards geoengineering poses. Finally, the Note suggests a framework that adopts concepts and principles from international law that would be necessary for any geoengineering treaty regime. The framework proposed is designed to ensure that the risks of geoengineering are fully evaluated and mitigated prior to the start of any major geoengineering project, provide a mechanism to encourage information sharing which enhances compliance and avoids disputes, establish procedures by which disputes can be resolved, and create substantive norms governing the potential harms caused by geoengineering.