I am pleased that my post last week on ocean acidification received a good deal of attention around the web because this critical subject rarely makes news. I'd also like to point readers to the National Academies latest podcast on the very same topic and encourage everyone to listen and share the episode. Here's a synopsis:
Ocean Acidification: The Other Carbon Dioxide Problem (Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:06:39 -0400) The ocean has absorbed a significant portion of all human-made carbon dioxide emissions. This benefits human society by moderating the rate of climate change, but also causes unprecedented changes to ocean chemistry. Carbon dioxide taken up by the ocean makes the water more acidic and leads to a suite of chemical changes collectively known as ocean acidification. The long term consequences of ocean acidification are not known, but are expected to result in changes to many ecosystems and the services they provide to society. This podcast gives an overview of the current state of knowledge, explores gaps in understanding, and identifies several key findings. Read the Report Online
All of the NAS Sounds of Science podcasts can be found here.