Posthuman Blues

Oceans turning to acid from rise in CO2

"Many scientists view the world's oceans as an important sink for capturing the human-induced greenhouse gas CO2 and slowing global warming. Marine plants soak up CO2 as they breathe it in and convert it to food during photosynthesis. Organisms also use it to make their skeletons and shells, which eventually form sediments. With the explosion of fossil-fuel burning over the past 200 years, it has been estimated that more than a third of the human-originated greenhouse gas has been absorbed by the oceans. While marine organisms need CO2 to survive, work by Caldeira and colleagues shows that too much CO2 in the ocean could lead to ecological disruption and extinctions in the marine environment."

More great news:

Leaders scrap targets on climate change to keep the US on board

"According to one senior official, Tony Blair's aim was simply to set out an action plan on greenhouse gases that would include meetings for a post- Kyoto 'dialogue'.

"Nevertheless, the ground is clearly being prepared for a communiqué that does not even state that mankind is responsible for global warming, which could seriously hamper agreement on how to combat the phenomenon."