Featured: Oceans over the brink?

The world's oceans may already be over the brink of collapse to the detriment of the entire world as we know it, according to some proponents of "global warming" theories.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Catholic Online) - According to Doctor Wallace J. Nichols, Research Associate at the California Academy of sciences in San Francisco, "from a climate change/fisheries/pollution/habitat destruction point of view, our nightmare is here, it's the world we live in."

This dire statement comes as scientists are evaluating the impact of atmospheric CO2 on the world's oceans. Scientists are learning is that the outlook may be more grim than previously thought, and that it may be too late to stave off disaster.

Scientists have observed CO2 dramatically increasing over the last 50 years. In March 1958, when precise monitoring of atmospheric CO2 began, the amount the atmosphere was 315.71 ppm. Today, that level is almost 390 ppm. According to scientists, 350 ppm is the tipping point after which irreversible harm to the environment begins. 

In 2009, the Zoological Society of London gave a chilling statement about these levels. "360 is now known to be the level at which coral reefs cease to be viable in the long run." How long is the long run? Within the next century.That means according to this research, the all world's coral reefs will be collapsed by 2100.

Why you should care

This is a problem because one quarter of all marine organisms depend on coral reefs for survival. If coral reefs are lost, it could cause substantial, fundamental changes in marine ecosystems around the world. And it should be understood that billions of humans rely on these ecosystems for their daily sustenance.

Proponents of global warming maintain that the debate is no longer about whether or not global warming is real. Instead, scientists are now scrambling to advocate solutions that needed to be implemented decades ago.

In the October 2009 issue of the journal Science, it was explained that the last time CO2 levels were as high as they are today was 20 million years ago. At that time, sea levels rose  almost 100 feet higher, and the temperature was 32° higher. Needless to say such a planet would have virtually no ice, and would be so warm that much of the life as we know it would not be able to exist.

Already, they calim, the ice caps are melting at record rates, and sea levels are rising. They maintain that evidence is beyond dispute.

These scientists now believe that mass extinctions are virtually inevitable. They do not believe that all life on earth will perish, instead we will see many species become extinct, and other species will grow to fill the niches left behind. The problem of course, is the impact these changes will have on human societies.

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Thanks to geography and wealth, most people living in the United States, and other advanced economies, are still yet to notice the widespread impacts of climate change on the environment, but make no mistake, they are already happening. The deserts are growing, pH levels in the ocean are falling, driving down populations of sea turtles, crustaceans, oysters, clams, and other organisms with shells. 

In 2009, the Pacific oyster industry reported 80 percent mortality for oyster larvae because of the increasingly corrosive nature of Pacific seawater. By the end of the century, the oceanic pH is predicted to be 7.8. Around the globe, fisheries are collapsing.

While everyone on the planet stands to lose because of these environmental changes, people who live in the tropical regions and who are dependent upon the sea for survival are already feeling the effects. Fishing catches are on the decline, food production is dropping, and poverty is increasing.
In the colder, particularly northern regions of the globe, scientists are noticing the arrival of warm water fishes in sub-arctic waters.

Fish populations are slowly moving northward as the ocean warms. As the food supply moves, researchers predict that humans will also have to move in order to maintain food security. But this presents a whole new set of challenges that range beyond the logistical, and into the political, and cultural. In the long term, conflicts over control of these shifting vital resources can be expected.

Ultimately, if controlled changes don't occur now, the proponents of this dire prediction maintain that uncontrollable changes will soon be forced upon us by nature.

What to do

Researchers do not say the situation is entirely hopeless. Rather, they point out that properly managed fisheries and protected marine sanctuaries are thriving, despite the increase in atmospheric CO2 and ocean acidification. While overall degradation is by far outstripping any improvements, they are pointing out that a number of small and reasonable changes can be immediately made at low cost.

The "pro-global warming" Scientists say that somewhere between 10 to 20 percent of the world's oceans need to be protected to maintain a balanced and functioning ecosystem and to rebuild food stocks for people. Currently, only 1 percent of the ocean is considered protected. Conversely, fisheries are heavily subsidized by governments, while the cost of simply protecting the marine environment would be lower that the subsidies, and would do much more over the long-term to ensure their viability. 

The scientific dialogue is becoming less and less one about whether or not a problem exists in the first place. The global consensus seems to be that global warming and ocean acidification are very real threats that are happening right now. And increasingly scientists are accepting that we are past the tipping point to disaster. They assert that it is only a matter of time before the dramatic effects of global warming and worldwide pollution are felt by everyone on the globe.

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Regardless of how anyone feels about the politics of the global warming issue, it is still good and right to be reasonable stewards of the environment and to manage it for the benefit of future generations. Indeed, even the most severe deniers of climate change should agree, that responsible stewardship is simply the only way to go.

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