[ortusdux]

I think it is disingenuous to pretend that I am making an argument on logistical, thermodynamic, oceanographic, etc. grounds. I claimed one thing - bad optics, bad public relations.

Sea surface temps are in the environmentalist spotlight at the moment. Between when Microsoft started their pilot program in 2018 and now, surface temps have changed dramatically. Some experts believe this change has made storms more energetic and less predictable.

Salt-water cooled power plants along with desalination plants have been getting pushback from environmentalists for years because of the negative effects of their heated effluent. This will only intensify.

For Microsoft, public relations have a documented cost. My claim is that their PR team would say that right now the cost of a large phase II deployment would outweigh the savings.

[specialist]

Yes and: Some localized heating is very consequential.