The In Limine Counterpoint: Without a generous supply of co2 in the oceans, oceanic PH would be that of ammonia cleanser, at approximately 11.2 or so. You do NOT want a heavily alkaline ocean. Thus, a reasonable person sees the presence of CO2 as a balancing act.
As a reminder, whereas caustic soda (Sodium Hydroxide) is extremely alkaline, caustic potash (Potassium Hydroxide) is extremely acidic. Don't confuse the two in your studies. Something is caustic, because it can dissolve material ... because it's corrosive. Very alkaline and very acidic can achieve the same goal.
Sequential Statement: River water in a number of places has an acidic PH level as low as 5.0 on the 0-14 scale, with Zero being completely acidic and 14 being completely alkaline. River PH levels have been as high as 9.0, as well. In as much, the angel fish and discus fish of the Amazon have no known problem existing in PH5.0 river water. In addition, steam water ranges from 6.0 to 8.0. Now, concerning sea life in the oceans, there is the matter of salinity to take into account, as well as PH levels there. Incidentally, black coffee has a PH of 5.0, and baking soda has a PH of 9.0 PH stands for Potential of Hydrogen. By the way, Green Tea has a PH of 6.0.
 |
| Frozen Beach - St Augustine Florida |
That which is called Ocean Acidification has actually been a matter of ocean de-alkalization thus far. It has been that way since 1751. That is to say, 271 years ago, the oceans' average PH was 8.25 ...
...(on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral ... and with the #14 being alkaline.) ...
Today, it is reported to be 8.07 or so. Since the end of the most recent Glacial Maximum, and millennia before that time, Planet Earth had an average ocean PH balance ranging from 8.3 to 8.1 or so. No drastic fluctuations throughout this time. The question is how much of de-alkalization will occur under an atmospheric co2 level that has been coasting upwards.
Now, something becomes acidic by means an effective concentration of hydrogen ions. This is important to mention, so that lay people (novices) will know that it is NOT the carbon dioxide per se that de-alkalizes any body of water. It's the hydrogen ions which do the task.
A PH balance measures the acidity or alkalinity of a material or substance. The PH scale runs from 0 to 14, with zero being acidic and 14 being alkaline. PH, itself, translates into Potential of Hydrogen ... or ... Power of Hydrogen. The number 7 is neutral.
~Battery Acid has a PH of zero. ~Hydrochloric acid is 1.1 ~Cola has a PH of 3. ~Coffee is 5. ~And distilled water is neutral, at 7.0. ~In sequence, ocean water has a PH of 8.1. ~Baking soda is about 9.0. ~Raw spinach has a PH of 10. ~Ammonia is about 11.0. ~Soapy water has a PH of 12.0. ~Household bleach is 13.0. ~And liquid drain cleaner is 14.0.
In 1750, Planet Earth's atmospheric co2 level was 277 parts per million (ppm). In 1820, it was 284.2 ppm. In 1870, it was 284.3 ppm. In 1920, it was 303 ppm. In 1970, it was 327.99 ppm. In 2020 it was 415.49 ppm. Finally, in 2022, the atmospheric co2, as of September, is 416.45 ppm.
Let's continue. A quick review of the general science of it goes as follows:
1} When co2 enters water, it's said to "dissolve." Well, okay. But, it actually performs a merger with water, instead of degrading into something totally different. It becomes carbonic Acid (H2CO3). Now, carbonic acid contains H2 and co3. Transfer one oxygen atom to the H2, and you have H20 + CO2. Thus, carbonic acid is regarded as a "watered-up" (or hydrated) form of carbon dioxide. In as much, the carbon dioxide has NOT actually degraded.
2} Numerically speaking, it's a matter of H2O + CO2 = H2CO3. In fact, it's the carbonic acid that eventually degrades back into CO2 and water (or co2 and 2 hydrogen ions). None the less . . .
3a} . . . While it's Carbonic Acid, it "dissociates." That is to say that it changes into bicarbonate and a couple of free hydrogen ions.
3b} So, how does co2 get really dissolved in the darkness of deep ocean water ... into an entirely different substance ... where the CO2 won't merely create carbonic acid and the hydrogen "donator" ions? This is not a rhetorical question. In sunlight, CO2 dissolves during photosynthesis. In each ocean's aphotic zone, there is no sunlight for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is an effective way of lowering co2 levels.
4} And yes, there has been an educated allegation that the ocean PH record was "doctored" with computer modeling numbers, instead of the empirical evidence going back to 1880. This would mean that there is another case of rendering bogus another climate doomsday conclusion, such as the Resplendy Paper, when it claimed that the oceans were heating-up 60% faster than previously thought.
Concerning the ocean PH level record, one person did notice an ocean PH chart that only began with empirical evidence at 1988. Computer model results filled-in the void. One hundred years or so of evidence went missing. It's kind of like the present case with the forest fire data. It now starts at 1983, the year of the lowest number of fires in US recorded history. Yet, the late 1920s, 1930s, and early 1940s had massive numbers for forest fires, per year.
None the less:
Being that it can possibly become an extremely serious issue, the ocean acidification assertions must be addressed by testing and more testing. Being that there are pros & cons to this issue, concerning historic fact and proxy evidence, the topic must be addressed clearly & honestly. It must be done without the ulterior motives of scientists looking for excuses to get more Congressional or NGO funding. After all, it's hard to take seriously a congresswoman possessing a 12-year-old's voice, telling us that "scientists say" that the world is going to end is 12 years, unless we fund scientists all the more.
Well, who are these "scientists?" Can't they speak for themselves in voices that sound older than that of a 12-year-old?
In as much, any conclusion as to the ramifications of elevated atmospheric co2 levels, as those co2 levels apply to deep ocean PH levels, will only be validly based on OBJECTIVE TEST RESULTS & tamper-free proxy evidence. The conclusion will NOT be based on any "consensus" or any "show of hands" or any mail-in opinion poll. It will be based on numbers and illustrated experience. Period.
One more legitimate ocean concern, and it does NOT involve ocean temperatures
There is one more legitimate concern involving ocean water and today's rise in atmospheric co2. It specifically involves the Northern Atlantic Ocean. However, off-shore New Jersey in 2022 proved that that particular concern hasn't yet materialized ... hasn't yet manifested itself. But, there still has to be legitimate scientist watchdogs monitoring it.
The concern involves the North Atlantic's capacity to perform the occasional act of lower ocean water UPWELLING which actually rises like a watery spiral staircase The upwelling is like a huge liquid food delivery conveyor belt for aquatic life that lives above the oceans' Thermocline ... or even above its Pycnocline (which see.)
Upwelling occurred on the New Jersey coastline in the Summer of 2022. And predictably enough, the water at the beach area involved was quite chilly, at 58F. It's usually 70F to 76F or so degrees in the Summer.
So, there are two legitimate concerns amidst a glut of overly theatrical Al Gore climate horror stories. Those hyped up and falsely presented issues have been addressed here and elsewhere. Those ones can be cast aside, so that honest concentration can be placed on potential ocean acidification and the upwelling topic which concerns the North Atlantic's salinity. That's it.
Every other "Climate Change" issue, as it relates to ~co2, ~the sparse methane, ~the sparser N2O, and ~the sparsest Hexaflouride, can be put on hold or perhaps put to rest. Yet, it might turn out that the ocean acidification narration was misrepresented and presented in a false light. After all, during the Cambrian Explosion, atmospheric co2 was as high as it ever was for Planet Earth, and shell life flourished. There were huge shell creatures in the era of high co2. So, how did that work?
In addition, there are two other issues that require attention that is being ignored in the midst of governments and media commentators obsessing themselves with weather events that happened throughout history, when co2 levels were much lower. The two are:
[1] Synthetic chemicals which trigger asthma, endocrine disruption, upper respiratory ills, water pollution, etc etc etc.
[2] Prevention of electric infrastructure damage in the event of another Carrington Event, as in a solar storm of great severity. (which see.)
The Climate hype is robbing other issues of mankind's needed attention.
The end-of-the-world-tomorrow theatrical hype has got to end. Even should ocean acidification turn out to be an evident reality in need of societal intervention, there still is time. The "end-of-the-world-in-12-years" claim was an insult to the intelligence. Planet Earth had intensely hot Summers also in 2012, 2003 and tragedy in France, 1988, 1976 and tragedy in France, 1954, 1936, 1934, 1931, 1922, 1921, 1913, 1910, 1898, 1896, 1878, 1871, etc etc etc.
Many of times, people thought that the end of the world was near. Meanwhile, co2 levels were low. There were record colds too, in 2012, and there is the report that America is about to harvest its highest yield of soy bean crops in its history. So, keeping the narration one-sided and narrow is unconscionable. Concerning the thrive to get massive government funding, it constitutes Theft by Deception.
Other examples that shows today's hype as false-light exaggerations include the fact that: ~The Roman Warm period, at least in the Mediterranean region, was 2C higher than today. ~We had far more forest fires in the late 1920s and all of the 1930s than today, evidenced by the urgent need to establish a Smokey the Bear campaign. ~There were far more above 90F and 100F days in the decades past. ~Droughts came in intervals throughout history. ~Devastating hurricanes came too, three of which occurred during the life of Benjamin Franklin.
In fact, the during the "Global Warming" scare, the USA went 12 consecutive years without a major hurricane making landfall on any of its long coastlines. This proved Gore wrong in one of his many failed predictions. Plus, there has yet to be a Category 6 Hurricane classification.
 |
| © Patrick Anthony Pontillo |
Harsh weather has happened repeatedly throughout history. Sigourney Weaver and the less than polite NY gov Cuomo lied when they said that these types of weather events never happened before. They happened all the more often when co2 levels were much lower than today. See: Baroclininc Instability, Barotropic Instability, and Pressure Gradient Forcing.
