Scientists Warn: Earth’s Oceans May Soon Become Too Acidic to Support Life
A recent report from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) warns that the world’s oceans are nearing a level of acidity that could jeopardize marine life and climate stability. The report outlines nine key factors essential for maintaining the planet’s capacity to support life.
Recent years have seen human activity push the safe limits in six critical areas, according to the PIK’s first Planetary Health Check. Ocean acidification may soon become the seventh threshold to be exceeded.
The already crossed safe boundaries relate to significant factors such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and natural habitats, freshwater scarcity, and increased pollution, including plastics and agricultural chemicals.
The sustainable level of ocean acidification is now at risk of being surpassed primarily due to rising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion, including oil, coal, and gas.
Ocean Acidification Boundary Likely to Be Breached, Warns Lead Author Boris Sakschewski
Boris Sakschewski, one of the lead authors, stated that as CO2 emissions rise, more of it dissolves in seawater, leading to increased acidity. He noted that even with swift reductions in emissions, some continued acidification may be unavoidable due to the CO2 already released and the time required for the ocean system to adjust. Consequently, breaching the ocean acidification boundary seems inevitable in the coming years.
Acidic waters harm corals, shellfish, and phytoplankton, which are essential to the marine food chain. This disruption affects food supplies for billions of people and reduces the ocean’s ability to absorb more CO2, weakening its role in limiting global warming.
Of the nine planetary boundaries, the only one not nearing its limit is the protective ozone layer. Though it was damaged by human-made chemicals, which also caused acid rain, it has started to recover since the banning of these substances in 1987.
Fine Particle Pollution Nearing Critical Levels, but Efforts Show Promise
A ninth boundary, concerning atmospheric concentrations of fine particles linked to heart and lung diseases, is nearing the danger zone. However, efforts in various countries to improve air quality—such as banning highly polluting petrol and diesel cars—have slightly reduced this risk. Nonetheless, the researchers warned that fine particle levels could still surge in rapidly industrializing nations.
The PIK established nine planetary danger levels to alert humanity about the risk of pushing Earth’s natural systems beyond irreversible thresholds.
“Crossing these tipping points would result in permanent and catastrophic consequences for billions of people and future generations,” they warned.
All nine planetary boundaries are “interconnected,” meaning that exceeding one critical limit could destabilize Earth’s entire ecosystem, according to Sakschewski.
However, this also offers a chance for positive change, as tackling one issue — such as keeping global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — “can produce significant benefits across multiple areas,” the report noted.
Read the original article on: Science Alert
Read more: Ocean Cleanup Stops The Flow of the Indonesian River Rubbish
