Global Warming and the Acidification of the Oceans (Edit)

The authenticity of global warming is a heated topic with many believing that we can never conclusively prove that climate change is caused by humans or it’s not happening at all. Skeptics argue that there is no proof or that the science is not accurate. However the acidification of the oceans disproves their main arguments. Acidification is a decrease in the pH level of the ocean; this creates complications for many of the creatures living there.

            The acidification of the oceans is a very simple chemical reaction that is natural and generally without negative consequences in small quantities.  However when excessive amounts of carbon dioxide are in contact with water, they react to create carbonic acid in this chemical reaction CO₂ + H₂O ⬄H₂CO₃. The arrow between the reactants and the products (facing the left and right) means that some of the products will convert back to reactants, so not all of the water turns to acid. Then the carbonic acid (the product of the reaction) disassociates into H⁺ ions (acid) and HCO^3- (base). The acid is neutralized when it reacts with a base, usually carbonate that naturally occurs in the ocean (CO₃^2-). While the neutralization of the acid may sound like a good thing, by taking out the carbonate from the environment, this prevents tiny creatures from using the carbonate to make their shells. Without the necessary minerals to protect themselves, many of these organisms die off. (Raven) Unfortunately this causes a devastating chain reaction, as these creatures are the base organism for many food chains, meaning many organisms survive off eating them or eating something that eats them. 

            One of the main arguments presented against global warming, is that in the last twenty to thirty years, the climate has not changed a significant amount. (Ferrara) Carbon dioxide is a heat trapping gas so by that definition, the disbelievers claim it should heat up the earth more than it has been. However, according to the experts at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, half of the carbon dioxide produced by cars and coal is dissolved in the ocean. This reduces the amount of heating carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. This in turn could possibly reduce the temperature of the global climate and possibly skew predictions. Since the generally increasing global temperature has caused melting of ice at the poles, the volume of the oceans have also risen, creating more water for the carbon dioxide to be absorbed. This becomes a vicious cycle. source?

            Another claim made by skeptics is that humans do not cause global warming; in fact that it is just a natural increase in the earth’s levels of carbon dioxide.(Nuccitelli) However, according to NOAA, over the past two hundred years, the pH of the ocean has decreased by .1, which converts to approximately a thirty percent decrease. (NOAA) The pH scale is a measure of acidity from one to fourteen, closer to one is acidic, closer to fourteen is basic, and seven is neutral. The pH of the oceans has actually been decreasing steadily since the industrial revolution.  This correlates directly with humans first starting to produce chemicals and materials on a larger scale and using coal and carbon based fuels to run their machines. The burning of these carbon-based fuels created more carbon dioxide than had ever been produced naturally or unnaturally before.

            Ocean acidification also indicates the detrimental effects increased carbon dioxide can have one the environment. It has an effect on everything from the tiny plankton to the larger organisms such as fish or marine mammals. These larger fish might have a harder time breathing and reproducing because of increased carbon dioxide.  Even worse, if this species was a keystone species, a species that without it the ecosystem would be very different or not exist at all, and starts to die off, it could have drastic consequences to the ecosystem. For example, sea otters are a keystone species, and when they became endangered, the sea urchin population skyrocketed. Due to this loss of a predator, the sea urchin’s competitors were greatly out-numbered, could not get enough food, and began to die off. Then the sea urchin began eating all the kelp and became one of the only surviving species in the ecosystem. (National Geographic) This example proves that a change in the pH could cause a chain reaction that affects many ecosystems. The beautiful diverse ecosystem of the ocean could become a habitat overrun by a single specie.

            I have lived less than half a mile from the ocean my whole life. Watching the ocean is something that brings me clarity.  At night hearing the seals barking soothes me. Right now, at the rate humans are going in polluting the earth, the acidity of the ocean will continue to destroy the habitat. I feel I have an obligation to the next generation and more generations after that to keep in good condition something that brings me so much joy.

Works Cited

Ferrara, Peter. "Sorry Global Warming Alarmists, The Earth Is Cooling." Forbes.   Forbes Magazine, 31 May 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2015.

Nuccitelli, Dana. "The Top Ten Global Warming 'skeptic' Arguments Answered." The Guardian, 6 May 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2015

Raven, John. Ocean Acidification Due to Increasing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide.       London: Royal Society, 2005. NOAA, June 2005. Eprint. Web. 16 Feb. 2015

NOAA. "Ocean Acidification." Ocean Acidification. NOAA, Web. 14 Feb. 2015. 

National Geographic "Keystone Species." National Geographic Education. National Geographic, Web. 15 Feb. 2015.