Are the Oceans Absorbing Emissions Like They Used To?

Over the past century or two we have relied on the ocean as a carbon sink for all of the emissions we are putting into the air. The ocean has absorbed CO2 and has padded our emissions. Throughout the 1950s the oceans seemed to keep pace increasing its absorption of our CO2 to keep our levels relatively steady. But since the 1980s the oceans have noticeably decreased in their ability to absorb. A main problem seen is that the more CO2 added to the oceans the more acidic they become, making them less able to absorb CO2. This slight increase in the acidity of the oceans have caused the rate of CO2 absorption to slow by 10% from 2000-2007 alone! At this rate the oceans will be fully saturated and unable to take up any CO2. Imagine the day when our oceans can no longer take any CO2. Our climate change will accelerate at a dramatic pace. The pace at which our glaciers are melting, the oceans rising will accelerate. We will likely have increased storms and storm surges causing our beaches to erode. All of the effects we speak of now for global warming will increase at an exponential rate, and this will become extremely dangerous. We must begin to curb our carbon emissions now so that we do not have to see the effects that could come from our pollution. We need to begin to use renewable, clean energy sources that promise our earth a more sustainable future. We need to start driving battery powered cars. We cannot continue to emit carbon as we now do. We are hurting our environment and our world and if we do not stop soon, it will hurt us back.

Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/science/earth/19oceans.html?_r=1&ref=earth