Monday, September 17, 2007

Planktos: What on Earth...?

We were linked, by Ecoshock News, to a post that describes one of the oddest stories of the year.

...Last week we ran a full-length interview with the chief visionary and CEO, Russell George. If you haven't heard it - go ahead and download last week's Show, from our website at ecoshock.org.

Russ is an inspiring speaker about reforestation on land, and restoring phytoplankton at sea.It all hinges on the company's ship, the Weatherbird II, currently docked in Florida.Will it sail to dump 100 tons of iron dust into the far Pacific? Will a combination of environmental groups and government agencies act to stop it?

In a press release, and in our last interview, Russell George claimed that he had some support from Greenpeace. We go now to Dr. David Santillo, at the Greenpeace Lab, in Exeter UK - to discuss the science behind this Planktos seeding business.

[SANTILLO INTERVIEW Dr. David Santillo of the Greenpeace International Science Unit, in Exeter UK, explains why Greenpeace opposes the plan by Planktos Corp to develop algae growth as a way to make carbon credits, as a commercial venture.
He says there are so many scientific unknowns, and no way to measure whether the carbon captured will actually stay in the ocean, or for how long.]

[ALEX SMITH]We've looked at the science, but now, my friends, it is time to get down to business. Don't run away from these tedious facts, because they reveal a fascinating cast of characters, I promise.According to corporate filings, the current Planktos Corp. began life on December 10th, 1998 as eWorld Travel Corp. In 2002, it was renamed GYK Ventures, Inc, in July 2005, to Diatom Corporation. In 2007, Diatom was renamed Planktos Corp.

...While company names, and large blocks of stock, were thrashing this year, Russell George popped up in a string of media photo-ops, and promotions, while courting environmental groups.Despite all the good publicity, in newspapers and network TV, Planktos stockholders watched their value plummet.

From a high of $2.56 a share, by September 7th, the stock was worth 84 cents a share, at most, sometimes as low as 50 cents.On their website, Business Week says:"The goals of PLKT [Planktos] insiders are closely aligned with those of shareholders, because insiders own a greater percentage of this company, than at any other company in the Commercial Services and Supplies industry.
"[Source:http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/ownership/ownership.asp?symbol=PLKT.OB]That's quite record! Insiders own more of this company, than any other in these listings, out of countless companies.

[THE PANAMA CONNECTION]And then we have the Panama connection....MORE

Now it starts to get weird.

For the record, the Illuminati post below is satire. Thes Poof is not some gay Brit. actor, it's The Spoof. Yet somehow it seems less convoluted than Planktos.