Which is more dangerous to earth's environmental health, global warming or ocean acidification

Question

I am more concerned about ocean acidification. With global warming, species can migrate, and some degree adapt.

But with ocean acidification, it is possible that we could lose a large number of the major species at the bottom of the food chain. (acidifcation can kill off animals with an exoskeleton). This could cause a dramatic ecosystem collapse. Our oceans may end up filled with jelly fish.

Answer 1

Global warming, due to which the entire planet gets affected. So Earths Environmental health or the Oceans acidification is inter-related to the effect global warming causes.

Answer 2

Since global warming is a fallacy I would go with the problems in the ocean

Answer 3

Tough question, and I think others will answer it better than I can.  But I'm baffled that people are still saying that global warming is a myth. That's what happens when you require too rigid a proof to believe something. It's just like saying smoking has never been proven to cause cancer.

Answer 4

I really like Adam C's answer. It's pretty much what I would have said: ocean acidification would have a severe and noticeable impact in the short run, while global warming would have a more complex and widespread effect in the long run.

What I would like to add is that ocean acidification seems to be more accepted by those who are skeptical of AGW because the relationship between CO2 and ocean pH is very direct.

So to answer your question, global warming will be more dangerous to earth's environmental health in the long run, but will will probably see the effects of ocean acidification sooner than global warming.  

Answer 5

The two are so entwined as to make a choice impossible; maybe like asking 'what is worse - speeding or bad brakes?'

Ocean acidification is likely to have a more obvious short term impact but global warming will, in the long run, prove more widespread but like I said, the two go hand in hand; prevent AGW and you'd prevent acidification as well  

Answer 6

Adam has the better answer here. Sorry Dana. Global warming is the cause and acidification is the effect.

But what I find most compelling here in this thread is the response of some of those non believers.  They argue on one hand we don't emit enough CO2 to cause GW and that the human carbon foot print is so small that it can not have a impact. If this is the case then I wonder how they would explain acidification, by natural co2? if that is case wouldn't the oceans and freshwater bodies have not been acidic long before man kind and remained as such? However, evidently that seems to not be the case. Is it just me or is that painted picture finally coming to a corner for some?

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Answer 7

None of them are based on the truth...

Answer 8

Both are directly related.  They "cure" for one is the cure for the other.  The acidification is due to the high concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources as is Global Warming (climate change, AGW).  It is very dangerous to greatly alter a very large numbers ecosystems at the same time, which is exactly what each problem does.  This is literally picking your poison.  I don't know that death by a sleeping pill overdose is any better than taking to much muscle relaxer.  It is better to take actions now to reduce emissions and reduce the probability of both occurring.

Answer 9

Global warming no doubt.  It impacts the entire planet directly - both land and marine environments.  Ocean acidification directly only impacts some marine life.  Of course there are ripple effects which go far beyond that (entire ecosystems disrupted as coral reefs bleach), but overall global warming is the bigger threat.

Answer 10

This is a really interesting question.  I don't believe global warming can be controlled by humans, but I do see ocean acidification as a direct result of CO2.

So I'd have to go with acidification -- but it's a stretch to call it 'dangerous' already.

Answer 11

i would have to say global warming because it is going to affect every habitat, every ecosystem, every resource worldwide.  Ocean acidification will strongly impact the oceans, but the impacts aren't AS FAR reaching as global warming.

Also, with more global warming (obviously from CO2) ocean acidification will be getting worse.  Due to the complex chemical reactions that cause CO2 to form carbonic acid (a weak acid) in water the pH will be dropping lower and lower with more CO2 so this will be a result from global warming as well.  This shows how severe global warming is because you get both as opposed to just one.

Answer 12

ocean acidification is decreasing due to present global warming because the warmer the ocean the less CO2 concentration in seawater! The more CO2 in atmosphere the more pronounced hot bed effect; CO2 accumulated by ocean is main source of acidification of atmosphere and hot bed effect;