Rate Of Ocean CO2 Absorption Fastest In 21 Million Years - 1 Billion Face Hunger When Fisheries Go

[hatrack]

As the world struggles to reach an agreement on global warming, the UK Environment Secretary said pollution is having a particularly damaging effect on the two thirds of the world covered by oceans.

He explained that carbon dioxide is being absorbed at a faster rate than at any time in the previous 21 million years, causing ocean acidification. he process dissolves the shells and skeletons of key marine life and is in danger of destroying whole ecosystems.

“Why should we worry about this?” he asked “Because there is marine life that is affected by that change. In particular animals and plants that have a calcium carbonate skeleton and that other marine life feed on. When you think that one billion people depend on fish as their principle source of protein this is something we should worry about.”

EDIT

Mr Benn warned that Britain would be particularly badly affected if acidification continues to take places at current rates. Britain is the third most vulnerable country to the effects of acidification, after Japan and France. This is partly because its waters are host to one of the world’s most productive fisheries, and partly because the seas around the British Isles are both cold and especially saline, which makes them particularly prone to acidification.

EDIT

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/copenhagen-climate-change-confe/6811984/Copenhagen-climate-conference-ocean-acidification-could-leave-one-billion-hungry.html

[silverweb]

1. "Alarmist claptrap!" scream the deniers.

Can't you hear them? I sure can.