Thursday
Apr222010
Actress Sigourney Weaver Warns Of Increasing Ocean Acidification
Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 2:30PM
By Justine Rellosa
Talk Radio News Service
On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Actress Sigourney Weaver said without climate legislation, the U.S. risks allowing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to have monumental negative impacts on ocean acidification.
Weaver and others testified Thursday before a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee.
“The oceans are 30 percent more acidic than they were during pre-industrial times and if we continue burning fossil fuels as we are now, we will double the ocean’s acidity by the end of the century,” said Weaver.
According to Dr. James Barry, Senior Scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), several studies and workshops have concluded that during the past decade there has been a massive influx of CO2 emissions into our oceans. Such pollution, he said, poses a threat to the livelihood of the ecosystem.
“[CO2 emissions] could have very significant effects on marine ecosystems,” said Barry. “Eventually, over 85 percent of all emissions will reside in the ocean and this CO2 will mix throughout the depths of the ocean.”
Weaver challenged lawmakers to put aside their differences and enact climate and energy legislation that will push America towards a clean energy economy.
“Lawmakers must help ocean ecosystems adapt to the changes brought about by a warming climate and acidifying oceans. To make the oceans more resilient to these changes, we need to do a better job of keeping the oceans healthy.”
Talk Radio News Service
On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Actress Sigourney Weaver said without climate legislation, the U.S. risks allowing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to have monumental negative impacts on ocean acidification.
Weaver and others testified Thursday before a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee.
“The oceans are 30 percent more acidic than they were during pre-industrial times and if we continue burning fossil fuels as we are now, we will double the ocean’s acidity by the end of the century,” said Weaver.
According to Dr. James Barry, Senior Scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), several studies and workshops have concluded that during the past decade there has been a massive influx of CO2 emissions into our oceans. Such pollution, he said, poses a threat to the livelihood of the ecosystem.
“[CO2 emissions] could have very significant effects on marine ecosystems,” said Barry. “Eventually, over 85 percent of all emissions will reside in the ocean and this CO2 will mix throughout the depths of the ocean.”
Weaver challenged lawmakers to put aside their differences and enact climate and energy legislation that will push America towards a clean energy economy.
“Lawmakers must help ocean ecosystems adapt to the changes brought about by a warming climate and acidifying oceans. To make the oceans more resilient to these changes, we need to do a better job of keeping the oceans healthy.”
Reader Comments (1)
Ms. Weaver's somewhat pedantic understanding of CO2 and the oceans is just pablum. The acidification is the result of the trillion tonnes of CO2 already emitted. Only 1/4 of this carbon bomb has created the ocean acidification crisis. The even more deadly effect of the remaining 3/4's of this first carbon bomb will not be changed one iota by reducing future emissions. What use is there in reducing the second deadly dose of CO2 if one does nothing about the first deadly dose.
Ocean life as we know it is doomed unless we immediately administer a "dirt cheap" ocean CO2 anti-dote. What will save the oceans is replenishing the mineral micronutrients our CO2 plague has denied the oceans and resulted in their acidifying demise. Only restored ocean photosynthesis can compete with the acid forming chemistry Ms. Weaver refers to, H2O+CO2=H2CO3 carbonic acid. Photosynthesis will capture the first deadly CO2 dose before it becomes ocean acid and turn it into restored ocean life. But only with our help.
Twenty years and $250 million in science spending has shown the way is immediately available and incredibly cheap. Replenish the mineral micronutrients, dirt, to the ocean plants and they will do the rest with the free energy of photosynthesis. Read more about this at planktos-science on the web... Stop taking the pablum and the kool-aid from the movie stars who would fiddle their PR tunes while the oceans burn. Demand the replenishment and restoration of the ocean pastures.