Researchers say oceans absorbing less CO2
Mon 22 October 2007
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The results of a 10-year study suggest that the oceans are absorbing less CO2 and may be becoming less effective as carbon 'sinks'. These findings, by scientists at the University of East Anglia, compound the problems identified in other research which shows that global CO2 emissions have accelerated in this decade and that CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere are also rising more quickly than previously thought.
The UEA research was carried out in the North Atlantic and the results show that CO2 uptake by the ocean 'sink' halved between the mid-90s and 2000 to 2005.
Researchers said the findings, published in a paper for the Journal of Geophysical Research, are surprising. The signs, they say, are worrying because there are grounds for believing that, in time, the ocean might become saturated with our emissions and this could lead to climate change progressing at a significantly faster rate.
The two major natural carbon sinks: the oceans and the land absorb about a quarter of all CO2 emissions each.
Separate work by the Global Carbon Project published in the US journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' (PNAS), says three processes have contributed to an increase in global CO2 concentrations: growth in the world economy, heavy use of coal in China, and a weakening of the natural 'sinks'.
Between 1970 and 2000 carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere rose by about 1.5ppm each year but since 2000 the annual rise has leapt to an average 1.9ppm. A climate expert who worked on the GCP study said that world CO2 emissions have risen by an average 2.9% each year since 2000, while the rise during the 1990s was 0.7%.
The Guardian reported that Dr Corinne Le Quere, a climate expert at the University of East Anglia and British Antarctic Survey, who helped conduct the study, said: "It's bad news because the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide has accelerated since 2000 in a way we did not expect. My biggest worry is people are discouraged by this and do nothing. I hope political leaders will act on this, because we need to do something fast."
The study worsens even the gloomy predictions of this year's report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The IPCC, which shared the Nobel peace prize this month with Al Gore, said there were only eight years left to prevent the worst effects of global warming, by acting to curb emissions.
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