It is always refreshing to hear younger people embracing ideas that my generation has only slowly adopted.

For example, marine ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to the harmful effects of climate change, particularly from anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Oceanic ecosystems will face the threat of CO2 emissions long after we figure out how to curb these emissions because the oceans absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, which takes time. Basically, if humans completely stopped emitting CO2 into the air today, the ocean would still continue to absorb CO2 for many decades in order to establish equilibrium between the atmosphere and the ocean. This raises much concern for aquatic life because as the ocean absorbs more CO2, it becomes increasingly acidic, making it increasingly difficult for vital ecosystems, such as coral reefs, to thrive. I read an article in the Washington Post yesterday about stranded dolphins and whales, and one of the potential factors causing them to become stranded incorporated the recent significant increase in the rate of ocean acidification. As the ocean becomes more acidic, the ability for sound to travel through the water improves, causing anthropogenic ocean noise (from ocean liners, oil drilling, naval sonar, etc.)to be heightened, which adversely affects animals that rely on echolocation (e.g. the dolphins and whales).

Evidently, there are so many consequences associated with climate change, not just an increase in global temperatures. Although the multitude of harmful effects may seem overwhelming at times, it also reveals that any effort a person puts in to practicing environmentally friendly habits will have just as many significant, beneficial implications for the improvement of our world.