Posted on 04/04/2010 4:17:50 AM PDT by Scanian
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency is exploring whether to use the Clean Water Act to control greenhouse gas emissions, which are turning the oceans acidic at a rate that's alarmed some scientists.
With climate change legislation stalled in Congress, the Clean Water Act would serve as a second front, as the Obama administration has sought to use the Clean Air Act to rein in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases administratively.
Since the dawn of the industrial age, acid levels in the oceans have increased 30 percent. Currently, the oceans are absorbing 22 million tons of carbon dioxide a day.
Among other things, scientists worry that the increase in acidity could interrupt the delicate marine food chain, which ranges from microscopic plankton to whales.
"There are all sorts of evils associated with this," said Robert Paine, an emeritus professor of biology at the University of Washington.
(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...
What, they’re going to try to regulate the evaporation rate of water now? Water vapor is the number one greenhouse gas, after all.
A. How CO2 can be "absorbed" by water
B. How CO2 can be an acid
The Competitive Enterprise Institute will be bestowing the Julian Simon Award on Steve McIntyre and Ross McKitrick for their efforts in debunking Mann's hockey stick at CEI's 2010 Dinner, June 17 at Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill 400 New Jersey Ave. NW Washington, DC 20001.
Hands down the most arrogant, controlling, manipulative administration in the history of this country. It doesn’t matter what we’ve learned in our years in public schools, everything is wrong and global warming is real. Doesn’t anybody see that we should be breathing an atmosphere of 99.98% pure oxygen since CO2 is so evil. Next they’ll be going after Nitrogen which accounts for a large portion of our breathable air.
*cut to EPA offices*
“Sir, we’ve got a great idea!”
“What’s that, Jones?”
“Nitrogen, sir! There’s too much of it. It’s causing global cooling.”
“My Obama! Get AlGore and Bamster on the phone. We need to ban this stuff immediately before the polar ice caps freeze!”
They would like to know too. This isnt about green energy, it’s about control.
Everything Obama has done is about control.
I would love to know how what we exhale can be a pollutant. Plants have to inhale it in order to exhale the oxygen that we need to live.
Among other things, scientists worry that the increase in acidity could interrupt the delicate marine food chain, which ranges from microscopic plankton to whales.
Where is the proof of increased acidity, or for that matter proof that increased acidity is necessarily bad. No where to be found, but the sly reference to harm of the “delicate” (my foot) marine food chain, any proof of that declaration, NO. Oh, and the delicate marine food chain ranges from A to Z, and be sure we have plankton and whales in there for effect.
More of the same from so called scientists, more likely rabid anti human activity, animal loving activists on a mission from God, their God that is, unrelated to the God of the universe and Creator and protector of that same universe, and the real Scientist. Proof and facts, not to be found, but plenty to fan the flames of the fearful.
God’s creation MAN, is the root of all evil. /sarc
Carbon dioxide plus water produce carbonic acid. Let me buy you a soda and tell you about the dangers of carbonic acid...
Wikipedia can be your friend:
"When CO2 dissolves, it reacts with water to form a balance of ionic and non-ionic chemical species: dissolved free carbon dioxide (CO2(aq)), carbonic acid (H2CO3), bicarbonate (HCO−3) and carbonate (CO2−3). The ratio of these species depends on factors such as seawater temperature and alkalinity.
"Dissolving CO2 in seawater increases the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration in the ocean, and thus decreases ocean pH."
H2CO3 is acidic. (simplified reaction)
The problem comes when you stop at this point. Animal life in the ocean use this to make shells and coverings (clams, coral etc). This removes the H2CO3 and keeps the acid in balance. Like global warming, the computer models on CO2 in the ocean do not take the complex natural cycles in account. I think this is on purpose.
I hope the first act of a President Palin is to ELIMINATE the EPA.
Time to visit the dustbin of history...
“Currently, the oceans are absorbing 22 million tons of carbon dioxide a day.”
Inquiring minds want to know...how many tons of CO2 were being absorbed by the oceans before the industrial revolution?
Suspect pseudo-science at it’s finest; all in the pursuit of the leftists’ agenda of control and subjugation of the American people in the mad march to marxism.
Forget the fact that these gasbags are seeking to dump what would be a global problem (if it’s really a problem) onto the backs of the already overburdened American taxpayers, while the rest of the world cavorts merrily on its way.
It’s time to take back the country. Quashing the tree huggers would be a good start.
Carbon dioxide plus water yields carbonic acid.
Science and scientists are becoming a bigger joke than Obama.
A bigger joke is the McClatchy newspaper chain which produced this screed; it should be read only with a “jaundiced eye,” if at all.
CO2 is an acid anhyride and readily binds with water to form carbonic acid which is also very weak bordering on a pH of neutral.
Co2 produced by whale = good co2. Co2 produced by man or his slave cows = bad co2. Understand?
This is called mass transfer whereby a gas dissolves in a liquid (example water). Concentration differences drive the rate of the mass transfer.
CO2 in water is in equilibrium with carbonic acid, a weak acid. CO2 has long been used to adjust pH in certain water treatment applications with low buffering.
It takes a whopping large concentration of gas phase CO2 in water to first drive the CO2 into solution before the equilibrium with carbonic acid can even come into play. This is confounded by carbonate and bicarbonate that are intermediate between CO2 and carbonic acid. Sea water is buffered pretty good to counter the impact of this weak acid on reducing pH.
Now that I think of on this some more, I think it is more likely that this is a “Chicken Little” approach to hammering on global warming crap from another direction.
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