Scientists have discovered that the world oceans have trapped about half of all the carbon dioxide produced by humans since the industrial revolution. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and is the biggest contributor to global warming of the planet.
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The Oceans act as a sink for the CO2, but at the expense of acidifying the ocean, which destroys plankton and the micro-systems that govern the entire ecosystem of the ocean and of the world. This is distressing…
Water vapor is the number one green house gas and is responsible for 95% of warming trend. Carbon dioxide’s contribution is a whopping .28% when water vapor is factored in and 5.53% when it is not.
Water vapor is 99.99% naturally occuring.
Erica, to state that CO2 destroys plankton is outragous since CO2 is the major food source of plankton and all plant life for that matter. Plankton consume CO2 and release O. While you are correct that CO2 is acidic O is just the opposite and the two more than balance out. Since Plankton is major food source for many types of marine animal life and the more CO2 to more plankton and the more plankton the greater the food source for animal life. The circle of life continues. It is not distressing. If we could over night significantly reduce CO2 billions of plants would die for lack of food. Think about it.
CO2 is a huge cause of global warming. Floods, animal extinction, droughts. Our world is going to suffer more horrible consequences if we don’t do something about this problem.
Yogi Feb 8, Water vapour is not a gas and part of the water cycle where no water is gained nor lost.
Michael March 2, CO2 is not a food but used to form calcium carbonate that make up the shells of phyto plankton. When the shells eventually disolve the CO2 reurns to the water. A small portion may end up on the sea floor and sequester CO2 for probably millions of years. Increased CO2 and acidity of the ocean will inhibit calcium formation and reduce the ocean’s ability to absorb CO2. Hence another positive feedback to the global warming scenario.