No entretanto, no Gardian (Comment is free), num artigo de Peter Mumby , When the corals turn brown, somos alertados para mais um exemplo da influência do homem, à escala do planeta (através das emissões de CO2), no ambiente. Um excerto:
Human beings have been burning fossil fuels for around 200 years, and the rate
of increase in atmospheric CO2 is 100 times faster than has occurred in the
past. Half of this CO2 has been absorbed into the surface layers of the ocean,
making it increasingly acidic. This spells
potential disaster for the thousands of animals in the oceans that create
chalk skeletons. The list is a long one and includes many plankton species,
lobsters, some of the prettiest sea shells, and corals. As water becomes more
acidic, corals find it increasingly hard to extract calcium from the water and
create calcium carbonate or chalk. Laboratory experiments have shown that a
doubling of atmospheric CO2 beyond pre-industrial levels can lead to a 50%
reduction in the growth rate of coral. But what does that really mean?
