Political Quotes

“If the Senator doesn't mind, if I change elements from fire to water since I represent an ocean State, another place where climate change is creating dangerous consequences is in our oceans. Let me cite a few reports that have come out recently. Climate Change & European Marine Ecosystem Research says: Close to one-third of the carbon dioxide produced by humans from burning fossil fuels and other sources has been absorbed by the oceans since the beginning of industrialization, and that has buffered the cause and effects of climate change. A resulting lowered pH-- When carbon goes into the ocean, it acidifies it. It lowers the pH. A resulting lowered pH and saturation states of the carbonate minerals that form the shells and body structures of many marine organisms makes these groups especially vulnerable. The growth of individual coral skeletons and the ability of reefs to remain structurally viable are likely to be severely affected. Continuing acidification may also affect the ability of the oceans to take up CO<INF>2</INF>. So they will not be absorbing the one-third that they have absorbed any longer. It will stay in the atmosphere and atmospheric concentrations will increase even faster. The Annual Review of Marine Science reports that: Growing human pressures, including climate change, are having profound and diverse consequences for marine ecosystems. These effects are globally pervasive and irreversible on ecological time scales.…”