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Ocean Acidity

INCREASING CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS ARE HAVING AN EFFECT ON OUR AIR – AND OUR OCEANS.  LEARN MORE ABOUT THE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CHANGES GOING ON AT SEA ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.    

WHEN WE BURN COAL, OIL, OR GAS TO CREATE ENERGY, CARBON DIOXIDE ESCAPES INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.  SCIENTISTS NOW AGREE THIS IS BAD FOR THE CLIMATE.   IT TURNS OUT IT’S BAD FOR THE OCEANS, TOO.  ONCE IN THE ATMOSPHERE, SOME C-0-TWO DISSOLVES INTO THE OCEAN AND CONVERTS INTO AN ACID.  THIS MAKES OCEAN WATER MORE ACIDIC, WHICH THREATENS OCEAN LIFE.  FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE WATER GETS TOO ACIDIC, PLANKTON CAN’T MAKE THEIR EXOSKELETONS AND MOLLUSKS CAN’T BUILD THEIR SHELLS.  ALLOWED TO GO TOO FAR, THIS PROCESS WOULD BE EXTREMELY DISRUPTIVE TO ALL SEA LIFE, WITH SERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS FOR PEOPLE, TOO.

THIS IS ONE MORE VERY BIG REASON WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP CLEAN, RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY.

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM. 

Read more at NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research web site.