There are many aspects to environmentalism. It is not just about being environmentally friendly but also having an awareness of the many causes involved. It is having an interest in the well being of the planet and its conservation. It is not only out of reverence and worry for nature and animals for human survival and happiness is also somewhat dependent on it. Many spiritual and religious people also consider caring for the environment one of their duties.
Pollution and overt consumption of resources are two of the concerns which seem to over-arc many of the causes. The largest cause for environmentalists, if not already, is the oceans and freshwater.
Another big cause is the rain forests and forestation in general.
The other causes include as stated pollution, overt consumption
As well as carbon dioxide emissions, extinction of species, loss of pollinators, global warming,
The Oceans
The largest cause for environmentalists, if not already, is the oceans and freshwater. They are the most important part of the Earth's ecosystem. The earth's surface is approximately just over 70% water. Being the planets largest habitat at 99% of living space it contains 50% of all species on earth. The coral reefs, sometimes referred to as the "rainforests of the sea," are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.
Biological productivity of the ocean plays a vital role in the global climate and carbon cycle and provides nearly 50 percent of Earth's oxygen and 20 percent of the world's protein supply. Species from the ocean are also potential sources of new medicines.
The Ocean Carbon Cycle
The oceans influence the climate by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide. Climate change is partly caused by the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The rate of accumulation depends on how much CO2 is in the atmosphere and how much of this CO2 is absorbed by plants and soil or is transported down into the ocean depths. The turbulence of the ocean's water also helps to absorb carbon dioxide. Scientists believe that the oceans currently absorb 30-50% of world's carbon dioxide. That is around 10 billion tons of carbon from the air (humans emit about 8 billion tons). If they did not soak up any CO2, atmospheric CO2 levels would be much higher than the current level and global warming climate change would become much more rapid. The absorption of carbon dioxide into the oceans is absolutely crucial with reference to climate change.
Plankton (microscopic plants and animals) influence the exchange of gases between the atmosphere and the sea. The relative amounts of CO2 contained in the atmosphere and dissolved in the ocean's surface layer determine whether the ocean-water emits or absorbs gas. The amount of gas dissolved in the water is in turn influenced by the amount of phytoplankton (microscopic plants, particularly algae), which consume CO2 during photosynthesis. Phytoplankton activity occurs mostly within the first 50 meters of the surface and varies widely according to the season and location. Some areas of the ocean do not receive enough light or are too cold. Other areas appear to lack the nutrients or trace minerals required for life, or zooplankton (microscopic animals) that feed on phytoplankton so limit the population growth of the latter.
Rather like a pump, plankton transport gases and nutrients from the ocean surface to the deep. Their role in the carbon cycle is quite different from that of trees and other land plants, which actually absorb CO2 and serve as a storehouse, or "sink", of carbon. Instead, ocean life absorbs CO2 during photosynthesis and, while most of the gas escapes within about a year, some of it is transported down into the deep ocean via dead plants, body parts, feces, and other sinking materials. Their shells and excretions rain down from the surface, providing a feast for creatures that recycle up to 90 percent of the carbon back into the water as CO2 . Only a light dusting lands on the ocean floor. The remaining CO2 is then released into the water as the materials decay, and most of it becomes absorbed in the sea-water by combining chemically with water molecules. Although some of the sinking organic material becomes buried in the ocean sediment, most of the dissolved carbon dioxide is eventually returned to the surface via ocean currents - but this can take centuries or millennia.
Global warming will affect plankton, and vice versa. Warmer temperatures may benefit some species and hurt others. Changes in carbon dioxide levels may not have a direct impact, but related "feedback loops" could be important. For example, because plankton create a chemical substance called dimethylsulfide that may promote the formation of clouds over the oceans, changes in plankton populations could lead to changes in cloudiness. At the same time, more clouds would reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the oceans, which could reduce plankton activity. Another possible feedback could occur near the poles. If global warming causes sea ice to melt, more light would reach and warm the surface waters, either benefiting or damaging certain plankton. (The depletion of the ozone layer by CFCs also increases the amount of ultra-violet light reaching the surface, which could have negative effects on the plankton.)
A paper published in the Journal of Geophysical Research expressed concerns that the ocean's absorption of carbon dioxide might be slowing.
Other Ocean Worries
1. Fresh melt water slowing down the currents
2. Rising water temperatures and levels
3. Acidity and pollutants killing coral reef and plankton
4. Overfishing and whaling
Changing Currents
Cold freshwater flux would have a significant effect on salinity and surface temperature. The salinity and temperature change in particular could have a measurable impact on the warm water flows keeping Europe temperate. Ocean circulation can be envisaged simply as a system of conveyor belts for large-scale oceanic currents. These are driven by tidal forces, the wind and by changes in the density of the water masses, associated with changes in temperature and salt content.
This so-called "thermohaline circulation" describes how, for example, the gulf stream transports warm surface waters, high in salt content due to the high levels of evaporation in the subtropics, to the North Atlantic. An important driving mechanism for this circulation is located in the North Atlantic. The water cools down in the North Atlantic and its high salt content is further increased by the formation of sea ice, which itself is practically free of salt. This renders the remaining water masses so dense that massive quantities sink down to depths of two to three kilometers These sinking processes create an undertow and thus pull more new warm waters that are high in salt content from the Caribbean to the North.
The Gulf Stream example serves to illustrate how substantial quantities of heat transported with the water masses from the Caribbean to the North make possible a relatively mild climate in Europe. Changes in ocean circulation such as that of the Gulf Stream will have direct effects on climate. In this case, the ocean affects both the atmosphere and the continents, causing, for example, changes in the monsoon and trade wind system, the El Niño Southern Oscillation, the global distribution of CO2 in the oceans or global patterns of precipitation and evaporation.
The ocean circulation is also important for the transport and distribution of carbon, nutrients and trace elements. Due to the solubility of CO2 in surface water, the ocean has presently taken up roughly 25% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. They are stored in the ocean’s interior after subduction of these dense water masses. In the sun-lit surface layers, marine micro algae fix carbon and nutrients on the order of about 50% of global annual biomass production. In areas of intense upwelling, high phytoplankton productivity serves as a food source for fish and other marine organisms making these regions important as an area of food supply for large parts of the worlds population. Also many large schools of different types of fish follow the ocean currents to feed.
Predictions based on existing climate models suggest a reduction in the formation of deep waters will take place over the next one hundred years, if temperatures on the Earth's surface continue to rise. Initial signs of this process can already be measured – for example, the seas of the Northern Hemisphere and West Pacific have warmed up over the past 20 years, while those of the Southern Hemisphere and East Pacific have cooled down. Such temperature changes in the ocean will affect the climate on land in the long term. A new study says that sea levels are rising at a faster rate than ever before in recorded history.
Temperature Increase
While global temperatures increase the slowing of the currents, polar and glacial melt waters increase. They contribute to slowing and changes in ocean currents but they also cause ocean levels to rise. Oceanic cultures are already greatly experiencing its effects. Some of the islands almost appear to be sinking, the water rising noticeably every year recently. The people of some islands have had to abandon their homes and way of life, relocating to larger places. Unfortunately many of them do not understand what is happening or why. Rising ocean levels has the potential to be a major threat to larger countries as well including the industrial nations. Many of these countries have some large coastal cities at or almost at sea level. Most of the worlds largest cities near are in just such a location. There are some pretty extreme predictions of how high ocean levels will rise the next 100 years but even a 3 foot rise will have big consequences. It will put huge populations at risk, even possibly for landlocked places. Rising levels could cause large population displacement and result in big numbers of immigrants. If the numbers become too large you could see other countries refusing to take any more immigrants resulting in even more displaced people than today. Big enough groups could conceivably try to move into other countries and areas by force. It is very possible that an increase in ocean levels in the future could result in warfare.
Ocean Acidification
The National Science Foundation announces more than $24 million dollars for 22 research projects to study ocean acidification and it's effects. Mounting concerns over ocean acidification (a consequence of CO2 emissions) has accelerated research funding aimed at understanding the process potentially endangering marine life in ocean waters. While the NSF has funded ocean acidification studies in the past, it is the first time the agency has created a special program aimed at the field of study. The projects investigate a variety of topics, such as modeling the rate of future acidification, studying how organisms behave in lowered pH and looking at earth history to understand how current trends may progress.
As CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere increase, much of the gas is absorbed by the oceans, where it dissolves in the water. As a result, the oceans are getting more acidic over time. However, the long-term effects of the process are poorly understood. There are many who think this is going to have an impact on important animals in the sea that are instrumental in driving the productivity of ocean waters. It is known that ocean acidification greatly threatens the growth of corals, clams and other organisms at the bottom of the food chain. These changes could trigger a domino effect throughout the oceanic ecosystem.
What the Science Says So Far
Since the Industrial Revolution, the oceans' pH has dropped by 0.1 and is expected to drop another 0.2-0.3 by 2100, It is currently 8.1. Those changes may not sound like a lot, but pH is measured on a logarithmic scale, so a 0.1 difference is equivalent to a 30% change in acidity or alkalinity. When you change the pH of water, it has very clear and potentially immediate affects on the physiology of organisms.
One effect of ocean acidification is the decrease of the availability of carbonate ions in the water, an important compound for organisms like corals, shellfish and foraminifera. They use carbonate to build their calcium carbonate shells. These shells are part of the organisms' body structure; they provide shape, size and protection against predators. There are questions about impact on the food chain, especially to pteropods which are a major food source for salmon depend on calcium carbonate shells. The larvae of sea urchins, mussels and crabs could also be affected. A study revealed that bivalve shellfish larvae survive to become juvenile shellfish about half as frequently in water with current CO2 levels as they do in water with preindustrial CO2 levels.
The larval stage is particularly important because that's when the shellfish are most sensitive. When animals are faced with stress, they can move, adapt or die out. Since ocean acidification is a global phenomenon, changing habitat isn't an option. Shellfish will either adapt to higher CO2 levels or go extinct. To survive, they’ll have to adapt fast. Many modern shellfish evolved about 20 million years ago, four million years after the last time atmospheric CO2 levels were as high as they are today. So there is a possibility that shellfish can adapt quickly.
While there have been times in Earth's past when atmospheric CO2 reached current concentrations, those changes happened over thousands of years. Today's aquatic organisms have much less time to adjust.
There are also many other chemicals and pollutants being dumped into the oceans daily. From oil and industrial chemicals, to garbage and even sewage. There is so much garbage that out near the center of the Pacific there is an estimated Texas size patch of floating garbage. They all add to the acidity in the ocean as well as other things toxic to the creatures of the ocean. It is killing off coral and plankton as well as the fish and other sea creatures. The fish caught by fishermen and eaten by populations are more toxic than in the past. It is contributing to the smaller number of the major fish grounds in the oceans. The remaining fish which are found tend to be smaller and less healthy. Drilling oil is another big threat because of the possibility of accidents and large leaks such as the greatest ever recently in the Gulf. Combined with dispersants used to help in cleanup there is fairly complete destruction of the ecosystem. The Bible predicts the death of the oceans and their becoming bitter. Although in that case from a meteor or planet striking the earth, it unfortunately seems there is a possibility we will witness bitter, acidic, lifeless oceans without that happening.
Overfishing
Overfishing is another big concern about the state of the oceans. Massive reductions in the number of fish in the ocean has many implications beyond the oceans. The kinds of fish seeing the greatest losses happen to be the same ones that many other species eat. It is natural that mammals and other predatory fish feed on the most nutritious fish they can find. Humans also prize the same fish for their taste. Unfortunately we take many many more fish than necessary and sometimes more than we can consume. The fishing industry is based on a capitalist system so fishing vessels try to always bring in the largest catch possible. Also there are still a lot of vessels who got into international waters and use illegal methods, such as bottom dragging. Post harvest losses are significant, around 10% of global fish caught go bad. That is around 10 to 12 million tonnes.
Of course not all of the fish caught are for consumption, many are caught for sport fishing or in the case of sharks ignorance. It seems that many don't realize the importance of sharks and other predatory fish. As with all apex predators may regulate the entire food chain and help to balance their ecosystem. When hunting they usually go after the smaller, weaker and less healthy prey. This keeps disease and over population minimized among the rest of the animals in the food chain. Sharks also are known to eat dead fish and keep the oceans clean. If we continue with the mentality where we kill them off and take away all of their food eventually the rest of the ocean will suffer. In fact some of their species are already on the endangered list.
If the majority of fish disappear or the ones left behind are mostly sickly it is going to affect much more beyond the oceans. The primary mammal to feed on fish is the seal. At the moment there are high numbers of seals which is attributing to low fish stocks. Scientists predict that as a result we are going to see a big drop in seal population soon. Over population with a limited food supply always causes a reduction in numbers. Climate change will also contribute by reducing the number of new seals born every year. It is causing the ice crucial to the spring birthing, which takes place out on the sea ice, to not be there. Which causes the newborns to drown. This obviously pollutes the water to a degree, further reducing fish stocks and their health. A large reduction in seals will greatly affect predators such as sharks and especially polar bears. Polar bears also use the ice to hunt for the seals which is their primary food, even more so after hibernating. If that food source is unavailable it will undoubtedly cause them to look elsewhere and move further south, those that are able to survive. Nobody knows to what extent polar dead zones will affect the earth. Lack of predators is seen as something that might be good to allow the fish stocks to recover but if over fishing, pollution and habitat destruction as now it is unlikely.
The loss of the productivity and stability of the oceans would be a disaster for the planet. The atmosphere would become almost toxic to humans and many species. We would see less oxygen production, roughly cut in half. We would also see more carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. There will be more erratic climate and increased climate change. There will also be higher sea levels affecting human populations greatly. Also there would be massive extinctions of many species. This would result in less food which is crucial to some people being available and the loss of potential medications. The oceans are crucial for the earth and its inhabitants including humans. We cannot live without the oceans and will see difficulties if they are around but not taken care of.
