Ever Heard of Climate Science?

Ocean Acidification           One of the most important aspects of our climate system is the ocean. It regulates 70 percent of Earth's surface and makes up 73 percent of the earth's water. The ocean absorbs more carbon each year, than any other earth system. The main reason the planet is still habitable for humans is because the ocean absorbs so much carbon dioxide. However, all of the carbon the ocean is absorbing is not natural, and it has negative effects on marine life and their ecosystems. This effect is referred to as ocean acidification. This is the term used to define the given chemical changes in the ocean as a result of carbon emissions. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when humans began releasing meaningful amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, the ocean has absorbed about a quarter of it each year. So as atmospheric levels of CO2 increase so do the levels in the ocean. It may seem like a good thing that the...

Ocean Acidification - Notes -Ocean Acidification- "PMEL CO2 - Carbon Dioxide Program." Ocean Carbon Storage . N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2018. -Ocean Acidification, or 'OA' for short, is the term given to the chemical changes in the ocean as a result of carbon emissions. -What is Ocean Acidification- -Fundamental changes in seawater chemistry are occurring throughout the world's oceans. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, the release of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from humankind's industrial and agricultural activities has increased the amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere. The ocean absorbs about a quarter of the CO 2 we release into the atmosphere every year, so as atmospheric CO 2 levels increase, so do the levels in the ocean. Initially, many scientists focused on the benefits of the ocean removing this greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.  However, decades of ocean observations now show that there is also ...

Vital Signs of the Climate Crisis  CO2 Levels: Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is an important heat-trapping (greenhouse) gas, which is released through human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels, as well as natural processes such as respiration and volcanic eruptions. The first graph shows atmospheric CO 2  levels measured at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, in recent years, with average seasonal cycle removed. The second graph shows CO 2  levels during the last three glacial cycles, as reconstructed from ice cores. The time series below shows global distribution and variation of the concentration of mid-tropospheric carbon dioxide in parts per million (ppm). The overall color of the map shifts toward the red with advancing time due to the annual increase of CO 2 . LATEST MEASUREMENT:   March 2018 408 ppm Global Temperature: This graph illustrates the change in global surface temperature relative to 1951-1...

Other Effects of the Climate Crisis - My Thoughts            This week I did not necessarily learn anything new, I simply supplemented my existing knowledge. I watched a climate change documentary entitled "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore. This documentary was very interesting to watch as it was an opportunity to study another person with the same passion as I. The way Gore spoke really stuck me because there was so much desperation in his voice and presentation. You can tell that he truly cares about the Earth and human survival. It truly was inspiring to see such a public figure let the world see him in that way. He mentions how he hopes that he can contributed to solving the climate crisis, and I know that he has because he has inspired me. By him inspiring me to make a change, he is accomplishing his goal of making that change. Every person that I influence in my lifetime is now indirectly influenced by him, and I think that i...