What do you think about ocean acidification?

Question

I want people to answer this regardless of your opinion on global warming/climate change. I'm asking this on the global warming section because it's directly related to how much CO2 is emitted. These are the facts:

We know that we emit 24 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. The oceans are absorbing huge amounts (about 22 million tons a day) and becoming more acidic.

"...the process by which the ocean normally maintains its chemical equilibrium is glacially slow, severely limiting its capacity to adjust to an extreme shock...the massive influx of industrial emissions is just that."

As the pH drops, the calcium carbonate shells of coral and shelled sea creatures dissolve. That means Diatoms (a type of alga) die, and that has a ripple effect throughout the food chain. For more than 600,000 years, the ocean has had a stable pH, but since the industrial revolution, the pH has dropped 30% and it's getting worse. And yes, the earth is on a cycle of ocean acidification as well as warming. The last time the oceans were acidic, shelled organisms disappeared from the fossil record for 40,000 years and it took another 60,000 years to recover. I think that we should break our addiction to fossil fuels to at least slow down the acidification of the oceans. What do you think?

Answer 1

Repeat after me:

Man can not affect climate. Man cannot affect the environment.  (Half kidding...we can affect our local environment)

Now...oceanic pH levels have never been stable.  Any measured variation in pH would most likely be the result of those underwater volcanoes popping up everywhere.  Mankind's measly CO2 emissions are nothing in comparison.

Answer 2

" the ocean has had a stable pH, but since the industrial revolution, the pH has dropped 30% and it's getting worse. "

This is wrong. The ocean pH has gone down from about 8.25  to 8.15, not 30%.

"bob326: you are right that the pH has changed about 0.1 unit, but pH is measured on a LOGARITHMIC SCALE, so a drop of 0.1 unit is a 30% increase in acidity. The IPCC says that the pH could drop as low as 7.8 by the end of the century, which would be a 150% increase in acidity since pre industrial times."

I believe you are stating the obvious here. Your original statement of:

"the pH has dropped 30% and it's getting worse."

Is still incorrect.

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Edit:

Antarcticice:

I already said that was the correct way to phrase it. The quote I have directly above is incorrect.

Answer 3

Ocean acidification is bad.  A new report came out today[1] that says that "a third of the world's reef-building coral species are facing extinction." Now, ocean acidification isn't the only contributing cause, but it's a major one.

Whenever I read stories like this, I feel like slapping some sense into those ditto-head deniers who repeat, "Man can not affect climate. Man cannot affect the environment."

Answer 4

Ocean acidification is one of many reasons besides global warming that we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.  We're indirectly destroying coral reefs which are the habitat of millions of aquatic species.

Then there are also the benefits of becoming more energy efficient, decreasing our dependency on foreign oil, improving air quality, etc. etc.

Answer 5

Benjamin:

"Ocean acidification is bad. A new report came out today[1] that says that "a third of the world's reef-building coral species are facing extinction." Now, ocean acidification isn't the only contributing cause, but it's a major one.

Whenever I read stories like this, I feel like slapping some sense into those ditto-head deniers who repeat, "Man can not affect climate. Man cannot affect the environment."

I read a news article about the same report. The implications are disturbing to say the least. It's clearly affecting all marine species, and considering 1/5 of the world's oxygen is created by ocean species (seaweeds and the like), there are more things to be concerned about here as it has the potential to totally alter the ocean's ecological equilibrium.

The biggest worry is that once this balance is disturbed to such a magnitude, it will be extremely difficult if not impossible to reverse, which will in turn affect other non-marine life forms.

Answer 6

It sucks.   Now the steel on ships will rust faster and I'll have to be out on deck more chipping and painting.

Answer 7

Huh?...which ocean? What parts? What depth?  Shallow parts of the ocean 1-600ft have always been effected by pollution, temps, disappearing buffer zones, development, and runoff...etc. If that's the case I'll agree, but you should clarify instead of making general alarmist statements. Niche marine ecosystems have a big problem with (nitrates), and land base toxins. Fish farming hasn't helped either, and probably has a more detrimental effect then all the others combined.

Answer 8

for bob326: re- 30% change in acidification

3rd paragraph 3rd line

http://www.esf.org/research-areas/life-e...

Does this make it clearer for you or do you think these guy are incorrect also?