The oceans are becoming more and more acidic. It is a particularly dangerous side effect of the already poisonous greenhouse gas emissions. If the phenomenon continues at this rate, the entire global food web could collapse and humanity could face total devastation within a few decades, according to one. new alarming paper.
The paper was written by two entrepreneurs and researchers affiliated with the University of Edinburgh. In the paper, the two argue that even a slight increase in acidity in the oceans will cause profound changes to ecosystems. Very dangerous changes, which will then have global ramifications along the line.
Oceans that dissolve everything
The central topic of the document is one. More acidic oceans could dissolve some of the compounds that make up organisms such as plankton and coral reefs, as well as the materials they need to survive. Sure, other species would eventually take their place. Life forms that can survive the harshest conditions, however, are far less suited to provide the foundation for the food web. This means that the phenomenon would eliminate the basis of many global food reserves.
The oceans, in short, would trigger a chain reaction. The outcome would be disastrous. The phenomenon would cut out the equivalent of food to feed some 3 billion humans. An apocalyptic scenario to say the least.
Brakes, brakes, brakes.
True: the impact of the climate change oceans is already wreaking havoc on the planet, but some aspects of the document for me have to be taken with a grain of salt. The authors make several brow-raising claims. One of them: acidification would cause toxic microbes that poison the atmosphere, blown out of the oceans by powerful winds.
Leaving aside some questionable assumptions, however, it is also true that it is (and in the same field) the second, terrible warning for the future of the planet. Given how difficult it is to monitor the microbes of the planet's oceans (and how little we know), the overall message must be taken seriously.
