The Carbon Sink is Clogged
According to the results of a 10 year study out of the English University of East Anglia, researchers have shown that the amount of CO2 being absorbed in the North Atlantic has been reduced by 50% between 1995 and 2005. Scientists are suggesting strongly that if the oceans can no longer absorb the amount of CO2 that it use to, global warming may accelerate as the largest Carbon Sink stops processing CO2.
Environment analyst Roger Harrabin at the BBC indicates that researchers, while aware of the substantial change are not certain yet as to what is causing it. Whether the change is due to climate change or if it is a natural cycle within the oceans is a moot point however. The result remains the same either way. If we don’t reduce our CO2 emissions, our atmosphere will start to become saturated.
If it is a cycle within the ocean then eventually the carbon will be absorbed. If it is not a cycle then all of the carbon that the ocean use to absorb will be stuck in the atmosphere causing even more stress on the land biosphere carbon sink (forests and plant-life) which is already taxed as is.
The answer to this problem is simple. Reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The second part of the answer is to stop polluting our oceans so that the plant-life within the oceans can do its job and pull CO2 out of the atmosphere.
Source: BBC News