Read the full study at pnas.org

By now, everyone knows that increased carbon in our atmosphere is causing global temperatures to rise, but many people don’t know about another major impact that it is having on our planet: acidification of our oceans.  When carbon in the air makes contact with sea water, a certain percentage of it is absorbed, and as the amount of carbon in the sea increases, so does the acidity of the water, putting ocean life in grave danger.  At greatest risk are shell forming creatures, such as coral, clams, shrimp, snails and various forms of plankton.  High acidity makes it very difficult for these animals to form their shells–and acidity that is too high will cause their shells to literally disintegrate.  Fortunately we haven’t reached that level yet, but unfortunately we are well on our way.

What will the mass extinction of crustaceans mean for life on earth?  Disaster.  These animals are an integral part of the ocean food web.  Animals like corals and pteropods are at the base of the food chain, and removing them will cause a ripple affect up the chain affecting untold numbers of species, from tuna to humpbacks, dolphins to octopi. But who is at the top of the food chain?  You guessed it–we are.  Millions of people world wide depend on the oceans for their daily bread.  Coral reefs are some of the most endangered ocean environments,  but they are also some of the most valuable, accounting for $29 Billion of net benefit yearly according to a joint report from NOAA and other organizations.

This is a urgent problem.  The science is irrefutable (it’s basic chemistry, really) and the consequences are already being measured.  The good news is that we know what we have to do–we must decrease the amount of fossil fuels we burn– and we know how to do it: increased efficiency (CFL bulbs, hybrid cars, Energy Star appliances), reduced personal use (shutting off the lights, choosing to walk instead of drive), and changing from polluting power sources (coal, oil) to non-polluting sources (wind, geo-thermal and solar).  The first two are within the control of each and every one of us, but to tackle the third we need smart, courageous leaders to implement laws that will force us into a green energy future.

Read more about ocean acidification:

The Conservation Fund calculates that over two years, its forest has soaked up an extra 350,000 tons of carbon. That’s roughly equivalent to taking 80,000 cars off the road for a year.

Turning forests into “carbon banks” may be an economically viable proposition.  With the prospect of a climate change bill being passed this year, a carbon marketplace (where “carbon credits” can be traded) is looking very possible. When those regulations are in place, forests will have economic value beyond the price of their timber, and that’s what the Conservation Fund is banking on.

Listen to the full report on NPR.org

Hawksbill Turtle - Preliminary art for Coral Reefs

I am currently hard at work on my next book, scheduled for publication in the Spring of 2011. The new book will take the reader on a journey through a coral reef, and (surprise) its working title is Coral Reefs.  It has been one of the most exciting projects I have ever worked on.  This year, I learned to scuba dive, traveled to Belize, and have learned more about coral reefs than I had ever imagined possible.

As I travel to schools and meet readers of Redwoods, the most common questions that I get are about how I make my books.  So in the coming weeks, I plan to chronicle the development of Coral Reefs.  I can’t promise to write every day, but I hope to be able to give my fans a good description of my book making process.  Stay tuned for posts about: researching a place, writing and revising, making a book dummy, painting a picture and much more!

Queens councilman James Gennaro, who chairs the committee on environmental protection, says Metro Fuel’s work will help his efforts to create a new mandate for home heating.  “There would be biofuels blended with standard heating oil, making it a lot cleaner, a lot better for the environment, and not any more costly,” Gennaro says.

I’m proud to hear that it’s happening in my borough, now if only there was more of this kind of development happening on a larger scale.  Here’s to WYNC for taking the time to report on it!