According to an article entitled, "Greenhouse Ocean Study Offers Warning For Future" which you can read by clicking on the highlighted title in the first line above,
"The mass extinction of marine life in our oceans during prehistoric times is a warning that the same could happen again due to high levels of greenhouse gases, according to new research." In a study by two
scientists concerning 'greenhouse oceans'—"those that have been depleted of oxygen, suffering increases in carbon dioxide and temperature."
"Professor Thomas Wagner says the results of their research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), has relevance for our modern world: "We know that 'dead zones' are rapidly growing in size and number in seas and oceans across the globe," he said. "These are areas of water that are lacking in oxygen and are suffering from increases of CO2, rising temperatures, nutrient run-off from agriculture and other factors."
"Their research points to a mass mortality in the oceans at a time when the Earth was going through a greenhouse effect. High levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and rising temperatures led to a severe lack of oxygen (hypoxia) in the water that marine animals depend upon."
"What's alarming to us as scientists is that there were only very slight natural changes that resulted in the onset of hypoxia in the deep ocean," said Professor Martin Kennedy. "This occurred relatively rapidly—in periods of hundreds of years, or possibly even less—not gradually over longer, geological time scales, suggesting that the Earth's oceans are in a much more delicate balance during greenhouse conditions than originally thought, and may respond in a more abrupt fashion to even subtle changes in temperature and CO2 levels."
This certainly is shocking and disturbing news! However maybe this news will get all of us out of our complacent attitude toward what is happening on this planet and focus us to work together to deal with this
situation. To many scientists an answer to the problems relating to greenhouse gases involve changing the way we as individuals and as groups act in our World. What can an individual do to reduce his or her Carbon Dioxide Footprint on this Planet? Plenty! Here are links to some websites which provide some of the ways you as an individual can reduce your Carbon Dioxide Footprint on the planet:
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/minimisecfp.html
http://bravenewclimate.com/2008/08/29/top-10-ways-to-reduce-your-co2-emissions-footprint/
To learn more about what a "carbon footprint" is and how it is measured please visit the following website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_footprint
To calculate your own individual carbon footpring please visit the following website:
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/individuals.html
The time to start changing how we behave as individuals and as members of groups in this World begins now, not tomorrow or next week! Please follow these suggestions as to how to reduce your carbon footprint:
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/minimisecfp.html
Source of Graph:http://www.eoearth.org/files/112301_112400/112391/Individual_carbon_footprint.JPG
