LAST week we looked at the atmosphere, so I think it would be good to have a quick look at the other regulating factor, the oceans, writes Martin Heath.

 I have over-simplified this as it is a vary complicated bit of chemistry, of which we are still learning about. 

For thousands of years humans have gone about their lives not thinking about how everything works together to sustain life; that’s apart from a very few dreamers who we could call early scientists. 

Last week we looked at how the ground chemistry works with Co2, called the carbon cycle. This week we look at how the Oceans play a massive role in regulating our atmosphere both in temperature and Co2. 

At our present air Co2 concentrations of 420.52 ppm, on 26 Jan 23, (Courtesy of NOAA & Co2 earth. Com)  the oceans absorb around 30% on average of the Co2 in the air. (this varies greatly in different parts of the globe depending on where and at what temperature) If water could not absorb Co2, then the planet would be much hotter, and we would not be here. 

The problem with all chemical changes – there is a chain effect. As the water gets more acidity it starts to dissolve limestone based creature’s outer shells, like corals and sea crustations and limestone itself. 

This in turn has a disastrous effect on sea life and us. Also, as the water gets more acidity and warmer, the rate of absorption may slow down, and the hotter it gets can make it worse. 

Life on Earth really is one big chemistry set; as I said last week. 

We are now adding the main control chemical, ‘carbon dioxide,’ to both air and water at a rate that the embedded systems can’t deal with and therefore, there will be physical changes and outcomes. 

We know this for sure as millions of years ago, the Earth was much hotter, the oceans were much more acidity for a time, and it had more Co2 in the atmosphere. 

One other regulator to help bring down the co2 and acid in the seas is algae and phytoplankton absorbing the carbon dioxide; this helps balance out the Co2, but only if the oceans are healthy and the water doesn’t warm up too much, as warm water can’t hold so much co2 as cold water; It just bubbles back out like lemonade from a bottle.

So what is the conclusion: if we continue to release Co2 at the current rates, the atmosphere will continue to get hotter, and the oceans will die. 

This is not scaremongering, but chemistry! You try to swim in diluted acid water and see how long you can stay there – not long. 

Let’s all hope the drive to make the economy grow by green growth, works, even though the motives are more about making money rather than saving life on Earth!