Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Climate wars damage the scientists but we all stand to lose in the battle | David Adam | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
The evidence shows that the battle for hearts and minds in the fight against climate change has been strengthened, not weakened, by the East Anglia affair.
World's coral reefs "could" disintegrate by 2100 | Environment | guardian.co.uk
Researchers at Carnegie Institution say corals are being overwhelmed by rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
Great Barrier Reef, North Queensland, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef is around 18 million years of age in the north and 2 million Years old in the south
Relic reveals Noah's ark was circular | UK news | The Guardian
According to newly translated instructions inscribed in ancient Babylonian on a clay tablet telling the story of the ark, the vessel that saved one virtuous man, his family and the animals from god's watery wrath was not the pointy-prowed craft of popular imagination but rather a giant circular reed raft.
2006: Climate police should chill
Al Gore was Oprah's guest this week, and she sweetly referred to him as our "Noah" of global warming.

1 comment:

Charles Higley said...

Actual studies of coral reefs around the world, including the Great Barrier reef, show clearly that CO2 increases have increased their growth on average by 30%.

It is simply lack of familiarity with the relevant science that allows one to believe that CO2 produced acidity can adversely affect coral calcification bioactivity and concretion processes. As CO2, H2CO3, H+, HCO3-, CO3-2, and CaCO3 are all part of a long equilibrium, the H+'s produced by this equilibrium cannot affect itself.

In fact, the photosynthetic activities of the algae symbionts increases with increased CO2 and corals grow more rapidly with the added productivity.

Only an outside source of acidity, such as from HCl or H2SO4, can hurt this process.

Furthermore, if the oceans were warming, which it appears is not the case for the last 4-5 years, the regions in which reef growth can occur actually increases as calcium carbonate is less soluble in warm water than cold.

Finally, ocean water, particularly in warmer regions, can be considered a supersaturated solution. More CO2 can do nothing but push the equilibrium to more calcification.

The Cliffs of Dover were laid down during times when CO2 was many times higher than now. It is quite obvious that coral reef organisms relish CO2 just as do plants - it's food!