Not the earth we know
How geology is informing our notions of climate change: a discussion between Jan Zalasiewicz, author of The Earth After Us: What legacy will humans leave in the rocks? and Matthew Knight (for CNN). We definitely want to read this fully, but a glance is enough to let us know it’s fascinating: the possible human legacy, […]
Possible suit against EPA under Clean Water Act to address ocean acidification
The Center for Biological Diversity may bring suit against the EPA for not upholding water standards in the face of ocean acidification. The NGO will take legal action if the EPA fails to act promptly on a petition submitted last year, in which the agency was asked to "impose stricter pH standards for ocean waterquality […]
Obama promises presence at December climate talks
At a rope line in Columbus, Ohio on Nov. 2, Barack Obama says hewill either go to the U.N. climate talks in Poland this December, orsend a team in his place. Greenpeace has a campaign urging the President-Elect to go in person. Which would be huge. We’ve signed up: how about you?
McKenzy Haber Eco Drives at IUCN World Conservation Congress
He may be only 12 years old, but McKenzy Haber held first place atthe Toyota Eco Drive exhibit in Barcelona. Here he explains and testdrives for us. Turns out he’s also in third, fifth, seventh &eighth places. What’s that about "and a little child shall lead them?"Mind you, in two years McKenzy can drive legally […]
Obama promises to address climate change Nov. 18
In a web video produced for the Bi-PartisanGovernors Global Climate Summit, President-elect Barack Obama pledgednew leadership to address global climate change. (Nov. 18)
Scientists confirm rapid ocean acidification
Remember that conference we missed in Monaco? Environmental Expert.com published a nice summary of the proceedings. To wit, 250 marine scientists from 32 countries agreed that ocean chemistry is changing rapidly. More specifically, it’s "accelerating at an unprecedented rate," becoming more acidic. What can we expect? No one is yet sure, but a significant loss […]
Obama to Poland? Final invite from 350.org
We think 350.org is running a canny campaign. Can Obama really resist this invite? Want to send one of your own?
More data on coral vulnerability to increasing CO2
New Australian research suggests some coral reefs could be gone before 2050. Previous studies have underestimated the damaging effect of excess carbon dioxide on coral. Bleaching, or destruction of coral, caused by other factors such as pollution, evidently interacts with and is exacerbated by, the effect of ocean acidification, according to Ove Hoegh-Gulberg of the […]
30 years earlier then we thought
This just reported on mongabay.com: "The Southern Ocean may be 30 years closer to a tipping point for ocean acidification than previously believed, putting sea life at risk, according to research published in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Analyzing seasonal changes in pH and the concentration of carbonate in the Southern […]
Jeff Ardron explains ocean acidification
A simple, straightforward explanation of ocean acidification, thechange in ocean chemistry caused by excess carbon dioxide in the air,which in turn comes from the burning of fossil fuels. (Just in case you’re new here: welcome, if so.) Jeff Ardron is a conservation oceanographer with the Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI), and director of their High […]
US to lead the world in climate change effort?
Well, we had to read that headline twice. Awesome how much a day can change things: from denying climate change, the US government may be doing an about-face and now leading efforts to diminish emissions. Senator John Kerry, speaking in Poznan, Poland, at the current climate conference, said the USA will take the lead, if […]
Ocean acidification symposium in October
Okay, we missed it. What can we say, we can´t be everywhere at once, even with the internet. Though Prince Albert II of Monaco almost was, presiding as he did over both the opening of the IUCN World Conservation Congress and the Second Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World. (We obviously need to […]
Ocean acidifying 10 times faster than previously thought
A just-published BBC article reports that ocean chemistry is changing 10 times faster than previously thought, in response to increased CO2 absorption. Researchers measured the acidity of seawater off the Pacific Northwest coast for eight years. Every half hour, so there’s plenty of data. "Professor Timothy Wootton from the department of ecology and evolution, University […]
Climate change & Florida’s economy
Coral reefs in Florida have generated 70,000 jobs and $5.5 billion in business for the state. But climate change could wreak the sort of havoc in Florida that sub-prime mortgages have for the U.S. A new analysis commissioned by the Environmental Defense Fund details these findings. These reefs are already in jeopardy from pollution. Now […]
Krill kill in Antartica? Another victim of ocean acidification
Sorry, just couldn’t resist that headline. But the story’s no joke. It seems krill are another species extremely susceptible to changes in ocean pH, or ocean acidification. Why do we care, as humans? These are tiny creatures we can barely see. Well, they are right at the bottom of the food chain, just like pteropods […]
Ocean Champion to Head NOAA
President-Elect Obama has put forward Jane Lubchenco to head NOAA. This is awesome news for marine conservationists: a marine biologist herself, Lubchenco has frequently spoken publicly about the importance of restricting carbon dioxide emissions. Lubchenco has "a passion for improving public understanding of science." She would be the first woman to lead the National Oceanic […]
Squids and ocean acidification
Yet another species which may be vulnerable to ocean acidification: Humboldt squid. These giant creatures—they can grow up to seven feet long—dwell in the Pacific Ocean. They play a key role in the food chain, both as predators and as prey for fish and marine mammals. Scientists from the University of Rhode Island report, in […]
Legal protection for endangered corals in Florida
An Oct. 28 press release from the Center for Biological Diversity reports that the US government is now protecting two species of coral, elkhorn and staghorn.Found in Florida and the Caribbean, these corals were once the most numerous and important reef builders in this area. They have now declined by more than 90 percent in […]
Climate change naysayers
We discovered this on YouTube, in a series called "Climate Denial Crock of the Week." The video maker is Peter Sinclair, an advocate of environmental awareness and energy alternatives. Here's what he has to say about it: "Climate Deniers S. Fred Singer and Dennis Avery make their livingby confusing and obfuscating the science of climate […]
Factory farms & greenhouse gas
Just heard this factoid on "The Leonard Lopate Show." The guest was Mark Bittman, talking about the environmental impact of the meat we Americans eat. (The rest of the world can prolly go to sleep right now, unless you want to know more about the stupidity of our agro-business/food culture. Wait, I was wrong. Unfortunately, […]
LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT
A friend brought this legislation, HR 146, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, to our attention today. It’s something all US citizens can take immediate action on, to support funding for research on ocean acidification and more. The bill will most likely be coming back before the House of Representatives this week. It needs only […]
Oceans & climate change
James Baker discusses the impact of global warming on coral reefs, ocean acidification, chemistry of the atmosphere and ocean, and growing public awareness of the issues. Formerly, Baker was NOAA's Undersecretary of Commerce/Administrator during the Clinton Administration. He currently serves as Director of the Clinton Foundation's Global Carbon Measurement Program.The talk was given at Cornell […]
Fertilizing ocean to combat climate change
In apparent defiance of international law (and possibly commonsense), scientists are planning to start an experiment with iron fertilization. The Independent is reporting that the proposed location is the Southern Ocean. The plan: to create a plankton bloom big enough to be visible from space. “The researchers – mainly from Germany and India, but including […]
Plan B for climate urged by scientists
It’s time to implement Plan B, to use technology to address excess carbon in the atmosphere. That’s the feeling of a growing number of climate scientists polled by The Independent. The Kyoto Treaty has not served to limit the release of carbon dioxide. And recent research reports that the world’s naturally occurring carbon "sinks" are […]
Fish & climate change
It turns out that fish play an important role in mitigating climate change. But it wasn’t known til now. A study published in the Jan. 16 edition of Science reports that fish help maintain ocean chemistry, specially the ph balance. In other words, they are natural allies in combating ocean acidification. Villy Christensen, fisheries researcher […]