Human activity has tainted all but 3.7 percent of the world's oceans, and 41 percent of the world's waters have been heavily impacted, says a new study in Science. A graphic map illustrates in all-too-clear terms that the briny deep has taken a terrible toll from 17 human threats, including climate change, overfishing, fertilizer runoff, coastal development, and shipping pollution. Only a few small areas near both poles remain relatively pristine -- though, according to one coauthor, "they are not untouched." In addition, a separate study in Science found that low-oxygen dead zones off the U.S. West Coast were unprecedented before they began showing up regularly in 2002, that in 2006 some areas lacked oxygen altogether, that dead zones will likely persist and possibly get worse, and that climate change is likely to blame.
sources:
Cautious optimism for Copenhagen deal as Barcelona climate talks end
Another coal plant bites the dust
Barcelona outcome: White House strategy is plea for more time
Comments
View as Flat
Blueplanet Posted 10:22 pm
15 Feb 2008
Granted it isn't in the best shape, but I am slightly suspicious that the same levels of polluting activity are not shown up on this map around some areas of the coast of the world's largest industrial polluter.
Permalink
GonzoDon Posted 10:12 am
16 Feb 2008
I see the effects everywhere I go. The changes are visible in my short lifetime. In the oceans, on the landscape, in the atmosphere.
Too many people.
The environmental world, the general public, and the bloggers on this Web site are now in a frenzy about global warming and its effect on the planet. And appropriately so. But ...
But how many people are in a frenzy about exponential population growth? I would argue it is a greater threat than global warming. To some extent we can adapt to the effects of the latter. But we can never adapt to the effects of ongoing exponential population growth. (Unless you call an inevitable mass die-off "adaptation".)
In the meantime, our planet suffers. Wild habitat disappears, the oceans everywhere are become yet more tainted, agricultural soils are lost, fishing stocks are depleted, and the atmosphere fills with ever-increasing greenhouse gases.
Sorry, but shopping at Whole Foods and installing compact flourescent bulbs ain't gonna solve the problem. Only the stabilization and shrinking of the globabl human population might result in sustainable headway on these problems. Eventually.
Per-capita gasoline consumption in the U.S. declined over the last 12 months. But total gasoline consumption increased.
Guess why?
Permalink
Sam Wells Posted 11:06 am
16 Feb 2008
So what if ships and boats sailed over the oceans, that surely does not harm it. The entire study sends the wrong message that we really know what's happening in the ocean and that was a horrible thing to say. We know more about outer space than we know about out own freaking oceans.
I agree that some coastal areas have pollution problems, reef damage, and man-made construction but the study just plopped a bunch of "human activity" themes over a GIS program and let her rip: gosh, 41% of the oceans are unfit and no good anymore.
That my friends is voodoo science of the worst sort. /sammie
Permalink
Wolverine Posted 5:11 am
17 Feb 2008
Sam's comments show extreme lack of information about the oceans, ocean ecology, and marine biology. I wouldn't be calling out others for "junk science" if I were him. Or maybe he's just another human who cares more about business and money than about life, or cares far more about humans than other species. Either way, his comments are very anti-environmental.
Permalink