Article 15
Topic: Ocean Acidification
Author: Virginia Gewin
Date: December 27, 2012
This article talks about the Washington state as the leading United States producer of farmed shellfish, launched a 42-step plan that cost $3.3 million to reduce ocean acidification. This marks the first state to fund the effort against ocean acidification. As growing carbon dioxide dissolved into the world's oceans, the average acidity of waters has increased by 30%. The reason that Washington is taking such an action is because its economy depends on farmed oyster, clams and mussels, which are vulnerable to acidification. One way they will solve this problem is to use sea grasses to soak up carbon dioxide in shellfish hatcheries. The panel recommends creating of an "acidity" budget to account for natural and human-influenced sources of acidity; improved methods of forecasting corrosive conditions; and finding ways to use sea grasses to soak up carbon dioxide in shellfish hatcheries.
I decided to choose this article because it interests me to know that a state is finally doing something to battle ocean acidification. In my opinion, the effort to save our oceans will continue because other states will do it as a result of Washington's actions. If we do fix the source of the problem, we also need to follow through with it and make sure this doesn't happen again because a lot of times if the issue is fixed people jump to the conclusion that they can now do everything they want but then once again the situation arises and is even worse. The public's duty now is too reduce their global carbon emission through their small things, which do make big impacts over time.
Author: Virginia Gewin
Date: December 27, 2012
This article talks about the Washington state as the leading United States producer of farmed shellfish, launched a 42-step plan that cost $3.3 million to reduce ocean acidification. This marks the first state to fund the effort against ocean acidification. As growing carbon dioxide dissolved into the world's oceans, the average acidity of waters has increased by 30%. The reason that Washington is taking such an action is because its economy depends on farmed oyster, clams and mussels, which are vulnerable to acidification. One way they will solve this problem is to use sea grasses to soak up carbon dioxide in shellfish hatcheries. The panel recommends creating of an "acidity" budget to account for natural and human-influenced sources of acidity; improved methods of forecasting corrosive conditions; and finding ways to use sea grasses to soak up carbon dioxide in shellfish hatcheries.
I decided to choose this article because it interests me to know that a state is finally doing something to battle ocean acidification. In my opinion, the effort to save our oceans will continue because other states will do it as a result of Washington's actions. If we do fix the source of the problem, we also need to follow through with it and make sure this doesn't happen again because a lot of times if the issue is fixed people jump to the conclusion that they can now do everything they want but then once again the situation arises and is even worse. The public's duty now is too reduce their global carbon emission through their small things, which do make big impacts over time.