Celebrate World Oceans Day, June 8, 2009
ACT NOW FOR STRONG LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO CURB GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTION!
Did you know that one-third of all the carbon dioxide that spews out from our coal-fired power plants and car exhausts dissolves directly into the ocean? Through this natural chemical reaction carbonic acid is formed making the surface ocean slightly acidic. This is called ocean acidification.
Shell-forming organisms such as clams, plankton and coral reefs have evolved to tolerate very specific oceanic conditions including light, temperature and pH. Acidity in the ocean is increasing 10 times faster than predicted – creating conditions that can make shell production very slow, difficult and in extreme cases literally dissolving pits into living shelled creatures. Coral bleaching and coral mortality is partially caused by increases in ocean acidification, which sends ripple effects throughout the entire food chain from plankton to whales to humans.
If we want to preserve our oceans and the creatures that call it home – we must stabilize carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere. Currently CO2 levels in our atmosphere are 389 ppm and scientists say that the tipping point for our oceans will be reached when we hit 450 ppm. This is forecasted to be happen by 2030. Scientists like Dr. Ben McNeil, a Senior Fellow at the University of New South Wales say that if carbon dioxide levels go unchecked and reach 550 ppm, then “we can’t go back unless we literally suck the CO2 out of the atmosphere”. He and others say that there will be large scale and irreversible impacts to the health and vitality of our oceans if we don’t act now.
The only real and tangible solution to prevent the worst-case scenario from happening to our oceans is to regulate CO2 – through sound climate legislation in the United States and international climate treaties. It is up to us to make this happen. Southern leadership in both the House and Senate have historically (and are currently) stumbling blocks for real progress that will ultimately help stabilize our planet’s climate and save our oceans as well as the health and well being for all beings who depend on the ocean for survival.
Take this opportunity on World Ocean’s Day, June 8th, 2009 contact your elected officials to voice your concerns about ocean acidification and the need for strong climate legislation to save our oceans!
If you’d like to become involved with SACE’s Coastal Climate Campaigns or stay up to date on issues such as this, join the Southeast Coastal Climate Network and/or the Florida Climate Alliance.
Toni Reale authored this blog post. Toni is SACE’s Southeast Coastal Climate Organizer.
Tags: acidification, climate, coastal, oceans
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Locally, we’re making progress; internationally, particularly, China and India, we need to work.
We need to prompt our officials to make those locales less attractive to US businesses for day-today options, so that they’ll invest more here.
Comment by Jim Quinlan on June 8, 2009 9:03 am
Hey, Toni – Thanks for the input. On Diane Rheem show drshow@wamu.org today, she had Jane Lubchenko, Obama’s head of National Oceanic whatever (NOAA), a marine biologist. She said we have to quit adding CO2 to the oceans (a collector of coal and other CO2 emissions) because we have already changed its Ph factor, making the oceans more acidic and destroying fish skeletons, coral reefs, shells of shell fish – essential killing off most ocean life.
I am glad she has the position! Seems like we really needed more of her types (former prof teaching ocean conservancy who sees her job as an opportunity for real change). Deb Arnason
Comment by Deb Arnason on June 8, 2009 2:18 pm
Interesting Follow Up Article:
Ocean Acidification Causing Mass Mollusk Mortality
Last Friday, the president declared June National Oceans Month and launched a plan to protect our deep blue seas. Unfortunately, the world’s oceans are already experiencing a crisis, not only from climate change, pollution, and overfishing, but also from the rapidly worsening threat of ocean acidification. That’s what scientists think is behind mass baby-oyster deaths in the West Coast’s oyster epicenter, where for four summers in a row — soon to be five — most oysters are failing to reproduce…..read more – http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/center/articles/2009/seattle-times-06-14-2009.html
When the seas absorb carbon dioxide being spewed into our air, seawater becomes more acidic. Scientists suspect that water rising from deep in the ocean, where CO2 levels are highest, is now so corrosive that when it gets pumped into Pacific Coast oyster hatcheries, it’s lethal to oyster larvae. And maybe the scariest part of all? Due to ocean current patterns, the acidity of baby-oyster-killing waters upwelling off the West Coast today actually reflect atmospheric CO2 levels of 50 years ago — levels of only about 315 ppm, compared to 385 ppm today. We shudder at the implications.
Read more on the oyster apocalypse in the Seattle Times.
Comment by Toni Reale on June 18, 2009 1:30 pm