Maybe with the large amount of deforestation on the planet, nature has made the necessary adjustments. After all, the planet is a living organism constructed from multiple living organisms and we have observed constant balancing throughout existence to achieve the optimum life sustaining conditions.Carbon Dioxide - The Breath of Life
Can you please show me the maths that proves 8.104 is 30% more acidic than 8.179.
What is causing ocean acidification?
As carbon dioxide obeys Henry's Law (which states that the concentration of a dissolved gas in a solution is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas above the solution) an increase in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere directly leads to an increase in the amounts of CO2 absorbed by the oceans. Human induced CO2 emissions have increased since the industrial revolution through the burning of fossil fuels, land use practices and concrete production[1]. This increase from around pre-industrial values of 280 parts per million (ppm) to 383ppm today (See Enhanced Greenhouse Effect) has resulted in the acidification of the ocean.
The averaged CO2 concentrations measured at Cape Grim Tasmania from 1975-2005 [2]. Reprinted with Permission from CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology.
Figure 1. The averaged CO2 concentrations measured at Cape Grim Tasmania from 1975-2005 [2]. Reprinted with Permission from CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology.
The rate of increase is far greater than generally occurs naturally and is predicted to continue to rise well into the future [3]. Approximately 25% of the CO2 from burning fossil fuels and cement production in the past 200 years has already been absorbed by the oceans. This CO2 absorption has already led to a decrease in the pH of the oceans of about 0.1 units from pre industrial levels. While this value seems very small, this is mostly an artefact of the way that pH is measured. Put another way this change represents about a 30% increase in the concentration of H+ in seawater. More importantly the H+ concentration, and the rate at which it is rising, are both still increasing [4].
If you punch in 30% increase in acidity in Google you will get a swathe of references. I found one last night that actually did the maths but can't find it again today. However the reference below appears to explain the situation clearly.
http://www.ozcoasts.org.au/indicators/ocean_acid.jsp
Do you mean there is something significant the masses are not being informed of or a distraction from an economic downturn?There must be a good reason why they don't take the easier and more eco-friendly path of limiting human population. You don't have to be an IPCC scientist to know that CO2 is not the problem. It is us. All the other species on earth would do fine without us.
That 30% more H ions are required to raise the oceans pH by ~0.1 does not equate to 30% greater acidity (or more properly 30% less alkalinity).
To suggest so is disingenuous and emotive use of figures.
The fact remains that the purported average reduction in pH is a small percentage of the normal variation that occurs from one place in the ocean to the next.
Well that explains it all doesn't it Wayne? You will obviously have to inform every one of those ocean scientist who have been studying acidification that they have simply got it wrong and that there is just nothing ( or very little) to worry about. We can now all rest easier with your firm certainty that practically every ocean scientist is just a dill.
It's good to get reaffirmation on the fundamental strengths of our forum members.
___________________________________________________
Dunning- Kruger strikes again and again and again
Quote:
Ocean acidification rates pose disaster for marine life, major study shows
Report launched from leading marine scientists at Copenhagen summit shows seas absorbing dangerous levels of CO2
The world's oceans are becoming acidic at a faster rate than at any time in the last 55m years, threatening disaster for marine life and food supplies across the globe, delegates at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen have been warned.
A report by more than 100 of Europe's leading marine scientists, released at the climate talks this morning, states that the seas are absorbing dangerous levels of carbon dioxide as a direct result of human activity. This is already affecting marine species, for example by interfering with whale navigation and depleting planktonic species at the base of the food chain.
The report ”” Ocean acidification: the facts ”” says that acidity in the seas has increased 30% since the start of the industrial revolution. Many of the effects of this acidification are already irreversible and are expected to accelerate, according to the scientists.
The study, which is a massive review of existing scientific studies, warns that if CO2 emissions continue unchecked many key parts of the marine environment – particularly coral reefs and the algae and plankton which are essential for fish such as herring and salmon – will be "severely affected" by 2050, leading to the extinction of some species.
Dr Helen Phillips, chief executive of Natural England, which co-sponsored the report, said: "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."
Although oceans have acidified naturally in the past, the current rate of acidification is so fast that it is becoming extremely difficult for species and habitats to adapt. "We're counting it in decades, and that's the real take-home message," said Dr John Baxter a senior scientist with Scottish Natural Heritage, and the report's co-author. "This is happening fast."
..... Congressman Brian Baird, a Democrat representative from Washington state, who championed a bill in Congress promoting US research on ocean acidification, said these findings would help counter climate change sceptics, since acidification was easily and immediately measurable.
"The consequences of ocean acidification may be every bit as grave as the consequences of temperature increases," he said. "It's one thing to question a computer extrapolation, or say it snowed in Las Vegas last year, but to say basic chemistry doesn't apply is a real problem [for the sceptics]. I think the evidence is really quite striking."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...fication-epoca
Hi, From that presentation I didn't understand how world ocean ph level averages were arrived at, both distant and present. Did you see that data anywhere?For those forum members who would like to increase their knowledge of what is happening in our oceans because of acidification I have attached an url for an excellent slide show presentation from Stanford University. Quite absorbing.
Hi, From that presentation I didn't understand how world ocean ph level averages were arrived at, both distant and present. Did you see that data anywhere?
Over the last several revolutions of the sun and with the rapid pace of information disseminated, I have become such a 'doubting Thomas'. I knew marine researchers working toward education degrees and they relied on Government grants to support 'research' of whatever was deemed researchable. Whale sound recordings or observing zooxanthellae under a microscope, present a sound case (see persuasion) and they were off to some remote island or out in the boats collecting water samples. Living simply on Government grants in some beautiful location was the culture they subscribed to.The presentation was geared to explaining how changing acidity levels would affect various sea creatures.
They will be some of the better outcomes from this scenario. So much noise. Gee.The real concern should be about improving immisions in the context of toxic pollution, better planned urban development and resource management
Do you mean there is something significant the masses are not being informed of or a distraction from an economic downturn?
I like the idea of a mutual agreement on bearing children. Not enforcement but simply a globally responsible and recognised acknowledgment that too many human beings WILL NOT be good for the planet. Surely two offspring per couple is satisfying.
CONSUMERS in the developed world are to be offered a radical method of offsetting their carbon emissions in an ambitious attempt to tackle climate change by paying for contraception measures in poorer countries.
The scheme argues that family planning is the most effective way to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic global warming.
Every pound stg. 34 ($60.50) spent on contraception, the Optimum Population Trust says, saves one tonne of CO2 being added to global warming, but a similar reduction in emissions would require a pound stg. 38 investment in tree planting, pound stg. 315 in wind power.
Calculations based on the trust's figures show the 10 tonnes emitted by a return flight from London to Sydney would be offset by enabling the avoidance of one unwanted birth in a country such as Kenya.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?