Guest post by Steve Goreham
Originally published in The Washington Times
On December 5, the PBS News Hour showed a segment titled “Endangered Coral Reefs Die as Ocean Temperatures Rise and Water Turns Acidic,” with Hari Sreenivasan reporting. The story discussed the recent loss of Florida coral reefs and the possible impact on recreation and tourism if reef degradation continues. But PBS wrongly told viewers that reef degradation was due to warmer ocean temperatures and “ocean acidification,” both allegedly caused by human carbon dioxide emissions. Sreenivasan concluded with, “Time that maybe is running out for coral reefs in Florida and elsewhere.”
Scientists, environmental groups, and the United Nations promote the fear of ocean acidification. According to claims, man-made emissions of carbon dioxide are absorbed by the oceans and converted into carbonic acid, thereby changing the chemical balance of the oceans. The basic concept of acidification is correct, but hugely exaggerated.
The PBS segment is wrong in several ways. First, while today’s temperatures are the warmest in the last 400 years, oceans were warmer still during the Medieval Warm Period ten centuries ago. Peer-reviewed studies found that both the Gulf of Mexico and nearby Sargasso Sea were warmer about 1000 AD than at present. These warm temperatures were due to natural climatic changes of Earth―not man-made emissions. Caribbean reefs adapted to these warm seas to remain with us today.
Second, the segment paints a misleading picture of carbon dioxide entering the oceans, without providing perspective for the viewer. Sreenivasan interviews scientist Chris Landon who states, “And it’s enough railroad cars stacked end to end to wrap around the earth seven times. That’s how much carbon is going into the ocean every single year.” This sounds alarming, unless you know that the oceans absorb and release about 90 times that amount of CO2 every year from the atmosphere naturally. In addition, carbon dioxide is absorbed by vast deposits of limestone rock in the ocean floor, removing it from sea water.
Third, the oceans are alkaline, not acidic. We’re discussing a reduction in alkalinity. Solutions are measured as acidic or alkaline (basic) on a logarithmic 14-point scale, called the pH Scale. Battery acid has a pH of about one, while the base lye has a pH as high as thirteen. Milk is slightly acidic, as are most of the foods we eat.
Measured in the open ocean, sea water is alkaline, with a pH of about 8.2. According to computer models, doubling of atmospheric CO2 would decrease ocean pH to about 7.9, still basic, but less so. The concern is that this change would destroy the coral reefs by dissolving the carbonate shells and skeletons of reef creatures. Sreenivasan states, “Acidification acts a lot like osteoporosis does in humans. But in marine animals, it makes their shells and skeletons brittle. The more acidic the water, the harder it is for corals to grow their skeletons.”
But, empirical evidence does not show it harder for today’s marine animals to grow their shells. A study of corals at the Great Barrier Reef shows that shell calcium growth rates today are about 25 percent higher than 300‒400 years ago when both ocean temperatures and levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide were lower.
Scientists still know little about the alkalinity of today’s ocean or the oceans of past centuries. Ocean pH varies by depth, becoming less basic as one goes deeper. It varies by latitude from the equator to the poles. It varies by location, such as the open ocean, coral reef, or kelp bed.
But the PBS segment ignores this uncertainty and implies that the rate of change in ocean pH is alarming. Dr. Langdon states, “What’s really and completely unique about what’s going on now is the rate of change. And that’s what is so difficult for organisms.”
However, evidence shows that a high rate of change in ocean alkalinity is natural. A 2011 study by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography found large variations in ocean pH by day, week, and month. Changes in some locations were as high as 0.35 units over the course of a day, higher than computer models are predicting for the next century.
Scuba divers know that reef creatures already experience acidic conditions near CO2 vents in the ocean floor. These vents bubble CO2 gas amidst coral reefs and grassy ocean pastures in millions of locations. Fish and reefs appear to be doing quite well near these CO2 vents.
The coral reefs in the Caribbean and other seas may be endangered due overfishing, chemical pollution, and human abuse. But let’s not blame reef degradation on misguided fears about global warming.
Steve Goreham is Executive Director of the Climate Science Coalition of America and author of the new book The Mad, Mad, Mad World of Climatism: Mankind and Climate Change Mania.
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These are the EPA regulations on coastal waters regarding the PH levels.
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/tmdl/upload/oa_state_info_nov2010.pdf
extract
Florida: For Class II and III (marine) waters, pH shall not vary more than one unit above or below
natural background of coastal waters, provided that the pH is not lowered to less than 6.5 units or raised
above 8.5 units. If natural background is less than 6.5 units in marine waters, the pH shall not vary below
natural background or vary more than one unit above natural background levels. If natural background is
higher than 8.5 units, the pH shall not vary above natural background or vary more than one unit below
natural background.
and extract from NOAA workshop,
This is often termed “ocean acidification” because it describes the
process of decreasing pH. Current projections of ocean acidification
suggest that
the pH of surface ocean waters will continue to decline. However, the
term can also lead to confusion
when it is wrongly assumed that the oceans will become acidic, when in
reality, ocean pH is never expected to fall below 7.0; i.e., the
oceans are becoming
less basic, but not acidic. Such a phenomenon could
only occur in the unlikely event that CO2 emissions
reach more than 10,000 Pg C (Caldeira and Wickett,
2005)
Yes – but these people aren’t interested in FACTS – only on creating an alarmist scenario..!
One word. Carbonates. Limestone and Dolomite. And the aragonite which comprises the shells of many invertebrates. CaO + CO2 — CaCo3.
This alarm has been spread like syrup by David Suzuki’s bunch as well. The stupid hurts. In the case of the PBS presentation, the ignorant leading the ignorant, unquestioningly.
Funny that they used Florida reefs for their example. With in the last few years, I could have sworn I saw a study of Florida Keys reefs, showing they are thriving with increased CO2.
So many mistakes and irrelevances, one might begin to think it was deliberate.
” the oceans absorb and release about 90 times that amount of CO2 every year from the atmosphere naturally.”
The magnitude of fluxes is irrelevant. It is the difference between gain and loss that is all important. Just ask Wilkins Micawber.
“carbon dioxide is absorbed by vast deposits of limestone rock in the ocean floor, removing it from sea water.”
This is a very important process on long time scales. It is one of the processes that will return atmospheric CO2 concentrations to their natural level over thousands of years, but over the next century, it is of minor relevance.
“Third, the oceans are alkaline, not acidic.”
Gosh, I never knew that.
“However, evidence shows that a high rate of change in ocean alkalinity is natural.”
Variability is one thing. A change in the mean state is another.
“Fish and reefs appear to be doing quite well near these CO2 vents.”
Provided you ignore all the papers that show the the effects of CO2 vents.
“The coral reefs in the Caribbean and other seas may be endangered due overfishing, chemical pollution, and human abuse. ”
At last, something that can be agree upon. Especially if we agree that CO2 is a chemical.
Related to PBS, this morning NPR was hyping a story about Superstorm Sandy and how the NJ beach residents are doomed due to sea level rise and Climate Change(TM). They said even sea walls wouldn’t help because within a decade or two the oceans would rise and storm surges would oeverpower them. One woman said the climate change data is pouring in and we are witnessing climate change right now, it’s not a theory for the future.
Sickening. I bet none of the people on that program ever even thought to look at the data. I bet most can’t spell the word “data”. And yet they “know” all this is happening. Here’s a simple solution: within a decade the people that “know” climate change is happening can sell their beach front property and move to high ground. Those that know climate change isn’t happening can buy those properties. Also, if climate change really is happening and this dumbocrats believe in it, why are they investing millions of tax payer revenue into rebuilding those beaches and sea walls. If sea level rise and storm surges are inevitable now, then they are just throwing their money away. The money should be spent in moving all those people to higher ground and let those tidal plains be nature preserves rather than million dollar mansions.
“The basic concept of acidification is correct, but hugely exaggerated.”
1) Sea water is a complex buffer and carbonic acid a weak acid. Its ability to alter pH is pathetic. The elephant in the room they do not want to address is that marine organisms can handle the changes quite well as they evolved in periods when CO2 was MUCH higher most of the time. It’s the high pH of today that is probably the most stressful for these life forms.
2) Also, as carbonic acid is the beginning of a long equilibrium including bicarbonate to carbonate to calcium carbonate, and more CO2 means more calcium carbonate deposition in warm waters, not less. In addition, the protons released by this equilibrium cannot affect the equilibrium. Only protons from an outside source can push this equilibrium around. Calcium carbonate is more soluble in cold water than warm and, thus, cooling oceans are the biggest threat to coral reefs.
3) Photosynthesis is an alkalizing process which can raise the pH during the day by 2-3 whole units. So, where’s the problem. Marine life simply is more robust than the whiners would want us to believe. CO2 is food to marine life in every way.
They are doubling down on the rate of change argument. That’s risky, as things may not keep going their way.
Mike Bromley the Canucklehead says:
Mike a typo I believe CaCO3 Not CaCo3 sory to nitpik.
I know— sorry not sory. Sorry
” In addition, carbon dioxide is absorbed by vast deposits of limestone rock in the ocean floor, removing it from sea water.”
Did not know limestone could absorb CO2.
Would it not be better to say –
CO2 is sequestered on the ocean floor when carbonates form and settle to the ocean floor …”?
There ought to be a WUWT “category” for acidification–the “ocean” category is too big a haystack.
Just in case it hasn’t been mentioned before… PBS’s use of the term ‘acidification’ seems to be a deliberate attempt to deceive. If they were interested in accuracy, they would use ‘neutralization’ or something similar, wouldn’t they? Or does that not sound scary enough?
Cold water also kills corals in the Florida Keys.
Here is the paper:
I vaguely recall, though I could be wrong, that corals evolved during a geologic time when co2 levels were far higher than today.
While El Hierro was being festive, some of the water samples showed a pH of around 5.0 from the SO2 that was being released into the ocean. Thats actually acidic. Earlier this year, Havre Seamount in the Kermadec Islands (north of New Zealand) went up and produced a pretty significant pumice raft. Had the eruption been above water, it probably could have been as high as VEI-4. Most of the gases went into solution in the ocean.
Thousands of miles of mid-oceanic ridges are dumping acid forming compounds (CO2, SO2, HCl, HF) into the ocean every single day… the sea critters seem to be okay with that. This has been going on for millions of years.
And now they want to be concerned about CO2? What? Are they that stupid?
richard telford:
You say in your post at December 13, 2012 at 5:58 am
That is not surprising because the rest of your post displays similar ignorance.
Please tell why you wish to display that you know nothing about the subject.
Richard
Here are the other impacts on Florida Keys coral reefs.
Here are some other impacts on other corals elswhere.
But remember, it’s co2 wot done it.
So, if I were obese and I lost a few pounds, that would make me more anorexic – not less obese. Well according to the Eco Taliban it would. How do we actually get some fraud trials underway?
One process which is little understood is called “whitings” it is an area of the warm sea that turns white due to precipitation of aragonite needles by phytoplankton. The phytoplanton breathe in CO2 and cause these fine needles of aragonite to form thus taking out of the ocean 2 molecules of CO2 for every molecule of carbonate formed. The geologic record has tremendous Limestone and Dolomite sections in which CO2 has been sequestered in the past. It is also one of the natural sources of atmosperic CO2 when these rocks are dissolved by Carbonic acid water at the surface.
Carbonate formation in the oceans by animals and precipitations may be a large source of sequestation of CO2 from the oceans.
GeoLurking said in part….
“This has been going on for millions of years.”
Why bother with millions of years of real data when the Warmists can predict, via their GIGO
computers a disaster/tipping point using conveniently adjusted/falsified data from the past decade or so?
PBS crooks and liars. Time to de-fund them.
If you meet one of these guys walking in the rain, ask him what on earth does he think he is doing walking around when water 1,000 times more acid than the oceans is falling on his skin.
Since I can’t address the science of ocean de-alkalinization, I went after the NewsHour on the “acidification” label. Maybe somebody else could pinpoint the timeframe when the term became the talking point it is now.
“‘Ocean Acidification’: A Sweet or Sour Talking Point FAIL?” http://junkscience.com/2012/12/07/ocean-acidification-a-sweet-or-sour-talking-point-fail/
GeoLurking says:
December 13, 2012 at 7:23 am
And now they want to be concerned about CO2? What? Are they that stupid?
____________________
No, but they are proceeding as if we are.
This post starts with the proposition that”coral reefs die as ocean temps rise and water turns acidic”. If the ocean temps are rising it has nothing to do with human activity because you CANNOT heat water from above. You can radiate water but physical heat will not pass fom the atmosphere into the ocean due to surface tension. How do I know this, because I’ve tried. I tried to heat a bucket of water from above with a paint stripping gun and the surface rejects the heat totally.
I realize that what I’m saying is so off the wall that people will want to argue so before anybody argues try heating a bucket of water with a heat gun. If you can heat the water you win, if you can’t, I win. Because of the effect of surface tension in blocking physical heat from the atmosphere there can not be any storage of heat on the planet and therefore no ratcheting up of temperature therefore no global warming its that simple. The only energy that goes into the ocean is radiated energy which penetrates surface tension no problem. The ocean is controlled by solar activity only.
Science has made a major error in assuming that the second law of thermodynamics applies universally without actually checking and water is an exception because of surface tension. More research needed as they say.