As scientists continue to show, the oceans absorb CO2 and keep it from going into the atmosphere. Thus, they help to protect against global climate change. However, this is looking to be perhaps an even bigger problem than climate change!
When oceans absorb this CO2, it makes them more and more acidic. “Since the industrial revolution, the ocean acidity has increased by 30%,” according to Lisa Suatoni, Ph.D. If we continue polluting CO2 as we are now, “ocean acidity will double by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial times. That is a big problem.”
A beautiful short video of the issues related to this, the oceans, and the challenge we are facing follows. It includes commentary from leading scientists and narration by Sigourney Weaver.
One of the best videos I’ve seen in a long time!
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The greater acidity in some areas of the ocean is already strong enough to dissolve seashells. Without quick and strong cuts to CO2 emissions, this level of acidity is likely to spread to much larger areas of the ocean in the next few decades. This does more than dissolve seashells, though.
“Thousands of ocean species build protective shells to survive. Some of them are so prolific they can be seen from space,” the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) informs us.
It is expected that greater acidity may eradicate numerous ocean species, especially the smaller ocean species that larger ocean animals (and, indirectly, land animals as well) rely on. Thus, it may eradicate a lot of the species in the ocean and on land.
Coral reefs, home to a major portion of the ocean and world’s species, “are particularly sensitive to ocean acidity,” according to Ove Hoegh-Goldberg, Ph.D. “We may lose those ecosystems within twenty or thirty years.” About one million species are estimated to directly live on coral reefs — “one in every four species in the ocean, lives on a coral reef.”
According to the NRDC, “Marine life that might withstand warming temperatures or rising acidity, may succumb, when confronted by both.”
The call is clear. Halt CO2 emissions, or cause the extinction of more species than in millions upon millions of years.
Hopefully, we will hear the call and respond.
via Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Related Stories:
1) Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions Trends — 1990, 2000, 2008
2) Oceans’ Ability to Absorb Carbon & Protect Against Climate Change Weakening
3) 1st High Seas Marine Protected Area in Southern Ocean — More Diverse than Galapagos Islands
Image Credit: JLambus via flickr under a Creative Commons license
About Zachary Shahan
I think that there should be more people commenting on this. Doesn’t anyone care that a lot of species will be killed if CO2 emissions don’t slow down? Shouldn’t we do something about this? Is the government going to do anything about this? I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future but the way things are going, it doesn’t look too great.
Messenger, put your critical thinker in gear and read the article again. You have done precisely what the writer wanted you to do.
Zach Shahan used such terms as “hopefully, Expected, Likely, Perhaps, May, Might, and Risk”, none of which pinned him down as saying anything to a certainty.
On the other hand, you defaulted to the positive “Will”.
So where the author said “It might happen”, you immediately accepted everything he said as though it were Absolute Truth, and told yourself “Yes, this positively WILL happen, and I don’t need to look-see where this author gets his information or whether his previous screeds have warranted my attention.”
You, my friend, have a problem. Be more careful about who you believe. Just because they seem to be on the same “track” as you environmentally means nothing, or even less. If you find yourself predisposed to believe something, that’s where you should be especially careful
i agree, Messenger. apparently it was a hidden issue for awhile, not really known. but it is a huge one. another reason to stop polluting CO2
BBob, check the referenced video. there isn’t much ambiguity there, there is just a small ray of hope which keeps all of those terms from being “will”. did You check the background on this issue first? because it seems from your reply to Messenger that you didn’t.