Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Our oceans are on fire

and the Flat Earth Society can't deny it. Human CO2 production is causing the scary Ocean Acid problem, and it's simple chemistry. There is scientific consensus, and the effects are bad.

I'm proud of my federal elected representatives for highlighting the ocean acid problem at a US Congress field hearing in Seattle yesterday. Senator Maria Cantwell chaired a Senate hearing, and invited Representative Jay Inslee to participate. Both of them prodded the scientific witnesses to offer their candid views of the problem.

Jay Inslee offered the memorable line that our oceans are on fire, I think he's right. Carbonic acid from CO2 dissolving in seawater is making our oceans more acid. It's happening NOW, and the risks to ocean food webs are very real and very scary. Ocean acid can dissolved calcium carbonate (bones and shells) when it gets severe, and recent studies show it has reached the shallow water off the US west coast.

This story is just beginning.

image: Planet Views

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Aquariums are the place to make Ocean Policy statements nowadays. We just had Gov. Patrick sign a bill at the NEAQ.

Soon inaugurations will be taking place in the Giant Ocean Tank.