The Climate Reality Project

"The world's leading scientists in ocean acidification have released an open communiqué stating the issue is an urgent scientific and policy challenge."

Key points in the communiqué follow.

This just reported by Science Alert:

"The world’s leading scientists in ocean acidification have released an open communiqué stating the issue is an urgent scientific and policy challenge.

Key points in the communiqué are that:

• the uptake of carbon dioxide emissions by the ocean is occurring at a rate exceeding the natural buffering capacity of the ocean.
• the current trajectory of carbon emissions will cause a change in ocean acidity, during this century, that is greater in extent than anything likely to have occurred for millions of years.
• Acidification due to ocean uptake of carbon dioxide is likely to have serious consequences for marine ecosystems and biodiversity in our region over this century.

'Ocean acidification is unique among human impacts on the marine environment in its pervasiveness and persistence' the document says, 'requiring heightened awareness and dialogue among scientists, policymakers, and the public.' [Emphasis ours]

This communiqué came out of a meeting sponsored by the Australian Department of Climate Change. The meeting took place in June of this year. Attending scientists included Dr Will Howard from the Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC) and Dr Bronte Tilbroo, of CSIRO, who released the communiqué.