News

A report from Natural England presented at the Copenhagen Climate Conference says that ocean acidity has risen by a third
since the Industrial Revolution.  Scientists fear that greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise that the ocean acidity could increase by 123 percent by 2060.

This would have detrimental effects to coral reefs and other organisms whose calcium carbonate shells are effected by the carbon dioxide levels.  I personally don't feel we have a clear understanding of the ramifications of ocean acidity, but I agree its a problem of epic proportions.

Dr. Helen Philips, the Chief Executive of Natural England said that “The threat to the delicate balance of the marine environment cannot be overstated - this is a conservation challenge of unprecedented scale and highlights the urgent need for effective marine management and protection.

EPOCA, the European Project on OCean Acidification, presented a guide to ocean acidification called Ocean Acidification: The Facts. I have read the guide and it's a very useful resource to understanding the issue. It lays out very clearly why ocean acidification is happening and what its effects are.

The Copenhagen Climate Conference will go on until for another week. For more information on the conference, you can visit DPG's overview to what people are calling the most important world meeting since World War II.