Ocean Acidification
Acidity Matters
Ocean acidification is the result of increased carbon dioxide due to human actions. The ocean’s pH reduced by 0.1 units which on a logarithmic scale means the acidity has risen by 30%. When oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it mixes with water to produce carbonic acid. Corals and species that are calcifying organisms cannot find the carbonate they need to build their structures and skeletons, which support other life in the ocean. Acidification threatens all marine life which threatens biodiversity, fisheries, and food security for the world.
Sea Level Rise
The sea level is rising at an increasing rate
Climate change has caused sea levels to rise due to both glacier melt and warming water temperatures that cause thermal expansion.
Sea levels are rising 0.13 inches per year. Sea levels have risen 8 inches since 1880 and 3 of those inches have occurred in the last 25 years.
8 of the world’s 10 largest cities are near a coast. 10% of the world lives in coast areas and 40% lives within 60 miles of a coast. Sea level rise is associated with floods, soil erosion and hazards from storms.
“An acid ocean spells the end of life on earth. “
“Greenland and Antarctica are beginning to melt because of global warming.”