Climate Change and Ocean Acidification: How it impacts not only the Arctic but the entire Earth

eco-system.

Submitted to Dr. Mark Schreiter In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for Credit in Environmental Studies 212 Living on Earth: People and the Environment By Alicia Roberts 10 December 2011

Climate Change and ocean acidification are on-going threats not only to humans but every micronism that complex macronism we call Earth. According to the intergovernmental panel on climate change they say that much of the warming and increased CO2 emissions have increased at a rapid rate since the beginning of the industrial revolution 200 years ago. I plan to analyze how climate change and its dark twin ocean acidification strongly correlate with each other the impacts they have. Arctic regions are by far the most highly affected because they are basically the first place you will notice these subtle changes. I will also be discussing the impacts on a global level and the different solutions we can put in place to clean up our ecosystem, as well as the projected outcomes in our future if we don t change our current rate of increased pollution. Without a doubt humans are the main cause for this deadly increase in CO2 emissions. I understand that we may not want to admit we are a part of the problem but until we do we have no hope of fixing it. Thirty percent of co2 emissions are absorbed into the atmosphere but 70% is absorbed directly into our oceans. In the Arctic we normally have sea ice and big glaciers that would reflect some of this insane heat. But with most of that ice melted, our oceans are absorbing it even more. The overall global temperature is about one degree globally; in Alaska it s around four degrees. The Arctic is a very delicate eco-system and is not used to any drastic changes due to its colder climate. There are three main ways that scientist say that ocean acidification will have on marine life: (1) as the ocean chemistry changes and carbonate ions decrease the effect on the calcification process for calcifying organisms (corals in warm water and deep water are compromised); (2) as the pH lowers it begins to affect acid-based regulation, and many

different internal physiological processes in all sea life; and (3) increased CO2 and begins to alter the ability of our primary life forms to photo-synthesize. Rising ocean temperatures and acidity due to a sever pH imbalance is causing animals to spend more time near fresh water rivers from whales to fish, changing migration patterns. A pod of whales was observed traveling 30 miles up the Kohukuk River only to die as if they were trying to escape the ocean. This is unheard of in Alaska. We find our red salmon still in the rivers in December which is another new change in their patterns also. A wide array of organisms use calcium and carbonate ions from seawater to produce their calcium carbonate shells. Considering that this compound is used for skeletal support imagine what it would be like if our skeletal system was unable to form. This is the same for all these fundamental life forms. Before the industrial revolution the water pH was 8.2. If the water becomes more acidic and goes down to 7.75 (this may not seem like a big difference), the value calcium carbonate becomes overtaken by aragonite. A .5 drop in Alkalinity can have enormous repercussions when the reactions that life needs to happen between hydrogen and bicarbonate unfortunately results in much fewer carbonate ions, which are needed for skeletal support (and for many other things). As CO2 continues to rise and be absorbed in ocean waters, it will naturally create low-carbonate saturation states. Carbonate is a basic building block needed for shellfish to create skeletal systems and shells. When waters become more acidic it quickly turns corrosive for these little crustaceans. Without them, it s like pulling the foundation out from under the food chain.

Ocean acidification effects many different marine and land based species. I would like to concentrate on two of them for now. One of the oceans foundational elements is the pteropod Limacina helicina and planktonic pteropds. Both are vital in the functioning food chain of the Arctic marine ecosystem and they also serve as the main food source for fishes, seabirds and whales. As we lose the shell fish, we also loose a food source not only for us but for a vast amount of marine life whales, otters, fish and so on. As our sea ice and glaciers continue to melt at accelerating speeds. The species that depend on these delicate climates will face very real extinction. One prime example is our polar bears that no longer have the habitat they once lived in, their numbers are drastically reduced by disease and un-adaptability at the hostile rate we impose by all the different pollutants we put into our environment and really have no idea what the long term effects could be. Even our forests in Alaska face death as these warmer temperatures allow the spruce beetle to proliferate. Impacts are always greater in the Arctic because of the diversity of the system it supports and the delicate infrastructure we call home. On Kodiak Island we no longer have a King Crab fishery for reasons fishermen were unable to understand. No one seemed to know why they were dying off at such an alarming rate. It seems very possible that the increased acidity of our oceans has had a major effect especially considering that crab have a bicarbonate shell and without it they would not be protected from the elements and die. How many indications of a declining eco-system do we really need before we take it seriously and make it our number one priority? Under the ocean s current physiological condition, bicarbonate and carbonate ions act as buffers by absorbing and storing the excess carbonic acid that is produced in the process of absorption of CO2. This is how the ocean regulates changes in pH levels by using the ability of

these buffers to soak up the excess CO2 and break it down into bicarbonate, carbonate, and hydrogen ions. It is in our ability to reverse some of these reactions and bring the system closer to a balanced pH. We want to encourage certain ion concentrations like hydrogen ions and bicarbonate (not the carbonate or carbon) which can eventually lower the pH and produce less carbonate ions. Today s world is very different. Up until 200 years ago the Earth was capable of recovering from eco-system imbalances. But we accelerated the output of deadly emissions after the industrial revolution and it has only picked up speed since then. At current rates ocean acidification is much faster and in much warmer temperatures. Preindustrial levels of CO2 happened in colder temperatures which were very much in the Earth s favor as far as processing this CO2. By losing these bicarbonate crustaceans we take away the Earth s natural ability to process this CO2 into safer more useful chemicals. It seems that if we don t do something about it and we kill the Earth s ability to no longer process this CO2 we turn kill ourselves quicker as huge amounts of CO2 are no longer absorbed. If it is no longer absorbed into our oceans and atmosphere in effect we will only speed up the process and quickly poison all life. In Australia we hear of the progressive death of the Great Barrier Reef as it has taken on a ghastly white appearance in the process. We can easily correlate most of our increasing numbers of storms to warmer temperatures of the ocean. Keep in mind the more acidic the ocean the more acidic rainfall that is dropped on us and also gives storms a different chemical makeup with negative side effects. Altered weather patterns and warmer sea temperatures gives rise to smaller, yet much stronger

hurricanes. Sea levels rise ruining most coastal regions around the world. Warmer climate encourages the proliferation of more airborne pathogens from insects and other sources. I can t help but wonder why we haven t done more research into adding substance that can produce more alkaline or pH balanced levels when I know it s in our ability to do so. There is already a product called cell power and happens to do exactly that. Keep in mind that more research needs to be done but it has the very real possibility of working. Cell power produces oxygen and balances pH too main thinks that not only the ocean needs but any and all water based life forms . . . oh wait that s everything. I have tested this product not only on myself (95 percent water) but also my cat and plants that were unhealthy in every instance the change in health by balancing the pH had wonderfully positive effects. There is also a sister product called silica that according to government patents has been shown to separate toxins in scummy ponds from the water and in turn making it actually drinkable for all life forms. It seems that the overall public awareness in regards to ocean acidification appears very low compared to what has been gained throughout the scientific community. We can start by reducing emissions of co2 and other halocarbons (iodine, bromine, chlorine, fluorine in conjunction with carbon) through use of hybrid or alternative fuel sources like electric or h2o powered fuel cells. Push for use of cleaner fuels like wind power, or using the tides to generate water powered turbines. Reuse materials instead of continually replacing it with something new, for example NO MORE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES or at least buy a good one the first time and you won t have to replace it for years. Using gradual implementation of carbon tax on emissions after a period of time you can turn around and use that tax to invest in alternative

energy like wind, hydro power, and electric cars and so on. Aerosols only make it worse so just don t, buy some hair gel instead and considering that you now have been informed you really have no excuse. And it s probably not a good idea to let anybody due any kind of off-shore drilling it could only compound the situation. NO MORE MISINFORMATION, have scientists work right next to the community in order to better understand our current situation and how to positively change it. In order to turn this around for the better every single person must begin to change to a more sustainable way of life or we will only continue to suffer as a species when we could be so much more. The seemingly obvious chain reaction of taking the foundation out from under the food chain causes the structure or system that it s built on to inevitably collapse. If we don t make a drastic change and direct our actions to finding a solution instead of repeating the problem maybe, just maybe with time and diligence we can begin to fix the eco-system that we endangered.

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