22 FEBRUARY 2008 - HEAVY EXTINCTION RISK FOR KING PENGUINS

Climate change strikes again - this time, King Penguins.  With temperatures projected to increase in the Antarctic by 0.4ºC over the next two decades, King Penguins' chances of survival have dropped by 15%.  King Penguins feed on small fish and squid, which subsequently are declining because of warming in the Southern Ocean.  These penguins inhabit islands to the north of Antarctica, but warming temperatures are diminishing their food supply and forcing them to travel further in search for something to eat.  This extra effort, in turn, is taking its toll on their overall health and ability to survive.  Temperature increases jeopardize the future wellbeing of this species, and only time will tell if the King Penguin will be able to cope with the stresses of climate change. To find out more, read an article from the Telegraph or the scientific report from The National Academy of Sciences.

28 JANUARY 2008 - SAILING INTO THE FUTURE

With the shipping industry accounting for 3% of global CO2 emissions, environmental groups are urging shipping companies to reduce emissions.  With fuel prices continuing to climb, shipping companies are looking for ways to become more efficient. The Beluga Shipping Company recently killed these two birds with one stone when it set sail from Germany to Venezuela using a kite made by German company, SkySails.  The kite measures 160sq m (1,722sq ft) and gives Beluga's large cargo ship some extra pull when the winds are right.  A new twist on an old method of transport, adding a sail or kite to medium-size cargo ships, cruise liners, or trawlers can cut fuel use by 10-20% or more, saving roughly $1500 per day.  Sails can save money and decrease emissions, a win-win for the shipping industry.  To learn more about the new technology, read coverage of the event by the New York Times and BBC.

18 JANUARY 2008 - A MICROSCOPIC CHANGE COULD BECOME A MACROSCOPIC PROBLEM

If you can't take the heat, get out of the...Bering Sea?  Increased temperature change and acidification are turning the food web in the Bering Sea on its head, and important commercial fisheries, such as pollock and hake may be in serious trouble.  Microscopic plants called phytoplankton make up the base of the immense marine food web and provide food to larger zooplankton, fish, marine mammals and birds.  A recent study showed that under possible climate change scenarios, these phytoplankton communities become much less diverse.  Specifically, the researchers saw a decline in the number of diatoms.  A shift like this could leave the Bering Sea much less productive and more resembling a temperate ecosystem.  To read more about how polar communities may be at risk, click here.

11 JANUARY 2008 - JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT ACIDIFICATION COULDN'T GET ANY WORSE

A recent study published in Nature Geoscience revealed that ocean acidification could wipe out yet another critical member of coral reef ecosystems, crustose coralline algae (CCA).  CCA is vital because it acts as a cement foundation and framework for reef organisms.  As the oceans continue to absorb atmospheric CO₂, seawater pH is dropping and prohibiting the secretion of CCA's mortar-like substance, calcium carbonate.  If pH drops enough, CCA may disappear all together and reef communities could fall apart.  Moreover, if CCA cover is significantly reduced, reefs may become overgrown with non-calcifying algae, or "soft algae," which could disrupt important ecological processes and choke coral growth.

7 JANUARY 2008 - CAN MARINE CONSERVATION LEAD TO CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE?

In the US, climate change is being fought from the bottom up.  Arctic sea ice is melting like a popsicle on a summer's day, and marine conservation groups are growing very concerned for the well-being of marine critters that depend on sea ice for survival.  For this reason, a petition has recently been filed with the National Marine Fisheries Service to list ribbon seals as threatened or endangered.  Likewise, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will make a decision soon whether to list the polar bear as threatened by climate change.  The underlying hope is that if these species are listed as threatened or endangered, the US government will have to adopt some form of policy that addresses climate change and fossil fuel use. Click to read more from the New York Times or Oceana's blog.

22 DECEMBER 2007 - CORALS MAY DISAPPEAR DUE TO CARBON DIOXIDE

Imagine if someone told you that all the plants around the world would stop growing in 2050.  What would happen if the leaves never returned in the spring of 2051?  This is an imaginative scenario on land, but in the oceans, increasing levels of CO2 in the oceans are causing them to become more acidic. These higher levels of acidity are making it harder for coral reefs and other critters that make shells out of limestone (calcium carbonate) to grow. As the oceans become more acidic they will become corrosive to corals and cause them to start dissolving. If we continue releasing carbon dioxide at current rates reef building corals could disappear by 2050. Read more about the future of coral reefs in the Guardian or the Journal Science (subscription required).

10 DECEMBER 2007 - SLOWING DOWN SHIPS HELPS STOP CLIMATE CHANGE AND SAVES MONEY

The price of fuel (bunker costs) for the shipping industry is rising and, in some cases, can account for 50 percent of the total operating costs.  Some ships have discovered that operating at low speeds can save fuel and have the added bonus of reducing pollutants in the form of emissions of carbon dioxide, and other global warming pollutants.  In fact, the International Maritime Organization reported that a mere 10 percent reduction in speed could result in a 23.3 percent decrease in emissions.  Ocean-going ships contribute a significant amount of global warming pollutants to the atmosphere, therefore reducing speeds would actually provide a win-win situation, benefiting the environment and reducing operating expenditures.  To learn more, click here.

3 December 2007 - United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali

Over 180 nations have gathered in Bali as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to discuss greenhouse gas emissions and the Kyoto Protocol.  On Monday, December 3^rd, Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, ratified the Kyoto protocol and pledged to cut emissions by 2012.  With Australia now committed, the only industrialized country left that has not signed on to a formal agreement to reduce emissions is the United States.  Some goals of the UNFCCC are: (1) sign on to a long-term commitment goal to reduce emissions, (2) further commitments made by developed countries to reduce emissions, (3) address emissions from developing countries, and (4) reduce deforestation.  To read more about the Bali conference, click here.

19 November 2007 - New IPCC Synthesis Report on Climate Change

On November 16, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a draft copy of a Synthesis Report that will provide an integrated view of climate change as the final part of the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report.  The newest of the IPCC's four reports leaves no room for denial of human impacts on the climate and calls for quick and decisive policies to prevent catastrophic changes resulting from climate change. The report determines that acting now to mitigate climate change will be less costly than trying to fix the problem in the future.
A summary of the new draft report can be found by clicking here.

23 October 2007 - OCEANS BECOMING SATURATED WITH CO2

A 10-year study conducted by researchers from the University of East Anglia, Norwich recently found that uptake of carbon dioxide by the oceans has declined by more than 50% from the mid-1990s to the period 2002-2005.  The oceans act as a buffer to climate change by absorbing a great deal of CO₂ that is released into the atmosphere.  If the oceans become saturated with CO₂ and unable to store emissions, global climate change and heating of the atmosphere may become intensified.  To read the BBC News story, click here.

13 August 2007 - First extinction due to climate change

Last week scientists declared that the first victim to become extinct due to climate change has finally succumbed. The purple or banded snail (Rachistia aldabrae) living on an island in the Seychelles has not been seen, despite extensive surveys, since the 1990s. The snail was unable to tolerate changes in its environment because of climate change. Unfortunately, this will not be a one-off event; scientists have suggested that over a quarter of all species could be lost due to climate change. You can read more about the extinction of the purple snail at Mongabay or read the scientific article in Biology Letters.

8 August 2007 - Coral reefs declining much faster than thought

Scientists have found that coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific oceans - home to three-quarters of the world's reefs - are disappearing at a much faster rate than they had previously thought. One of the major reasons for this is climate change. Other threats, such as pollution, ecosystem disruption, and destructive fishing practices are also to blame. To find out more about this worrying discovery you can read a report from the BBC or the scientific report published in Plos One.