Climate change: what is ocean acidification? 

Instead of wasting money on war and nuclear weapons, Developed countries should invest more money on protect nature and reduce the threat of global warming.

It's sad that nothing will be done until it starts to heavily affect people who live inland. I genuinely don't think humans will ever care tho.. 😔

I appreciate the work that went into producing this. It's absolutely viral to drive the urgency of this problem to the public.

Climate change is very informative. The world is unaware that the acids and carbon in the ocean destroy aquatic life, which has an impact on the food chain. We need to hear more stories like this. Bravo for this video's superb reporting.

We need more of these videos. Insight into a world a lot of us don't know.

Ocean acidification turns out to be a very serious concern and the subscriber is highlighting the need of the time in this video which is appreciable

Wow, we truly have messed up big time

The awareness created in these are amazing things we can do.

I have never heard this before! How come? This should be news stories all over the world.

We need more videos like this it’s for people awareness.Really informative videos

We need strong journalistic entities like you reporting on issues like this with the seriousness and urgency that you've reported here. We need to nourish collective awareness so that everyday people can know and act against the existential threat we and all life on earth are facing. The time to act is now.

Such a fascinating topic more people should be aware of!!

more stories like this please.... the world lacks knowledge that the acids and carbon in the ocean kills living being inside the water, which will then have repercussion to food chain... well done for this clip... excellent reporting.

Very informative and revealing. The Economist never fails to deliver well supported research with verifiable information.

Very sad to see the beauty of the sea slowly dying off. We need to take care of this planet so future generations can enjoy the wonder and awe of the sea!

This video was amazing. I learned so much from watching your video would definitely recommend this. Great work

Fun fact. All rain, especially during thunderstorms, is acid rain. Sure, some CO2 might contribute, but it's mostly nitrous and nitric acid. Lightning fixes nitrogen oxides naturally and these when dissolved in water make acid.

Heimdall is not commercially viable but the seagrass, yeah that makes perfect sense

Thank you London's Natural History Museum.

Ha! I remember running a DA on this subject in HS debate like several years ago. I am surprised it doesn't get more attention.

Great video. I'd never heard of it before. I'm amazed how this isn't more common widespread knowledge.

Thank You for the information.

The ocean is protecting the atmosphere from warming and excessive carbon dioxide. The warming is also preventing oxygen from dissolving into the water. Unfortunately, it's also killing ocean life, and it will take a very long time for it to recover. Studied this while getting a degree in environmental engineering.

This is a great video and I enjoyed every part of it

Great initiative to aware people’s to take car or marine life by having right behaviour at seas point

It sounds like we have no idea for sure why exactly sea creatures are disappearing due to a lack of research. It's hard, as a land dwelling human, to care about what happens under the ocean but I feel like we need to put a little more importance on studying what covers three quarters of our planet, since our survival depends on being part of a functional ecosystem. Thank you to the people responsible for this report, and to all those studying our oceans.

Tx for this excellent video very informative. There will never be a "silver bullet" for ecological & climate restoration, but rather a variety of strategies & techniques will need to be applied that best suits different contexts. This is why global cooperation is so important - countries need to learn from each other then implement the techniques or strategies best suited for their local ecology / ecologies (most countries have a range of ecological systems within their national border). Human sectors also need to work together to protect & care for the ecological sytems, processes & services ALL human systems FULLY depend on - govs, business, NGOs, civil society, groups & residents etc. Our oceans are, by far, the most important carbon sink that our climate system depends on to remove excess carbon from the atmosphere so maintaining ocean health is critical. Several techniques have been suggested to reduce ocean acidification such as ocean fertilisation & silicate weathering. 3D printed or mesh coral reef bases onto which corals can attach is also available. But nature is still the best solution because ecological services are provided FREE OF CHARGE and have been developed & perfected by nature over billions of years.

Thank you couldnt finish frustrating and sad

Thankyou for giving insight into this matter.

In many cases, I would be of the opinion that technology can be used to solve a problem. But when it comes to capturing the CO2 emissions that are already out there, I really think all these different ideas/projects going on now is just not right. They are not a reasonable solution, we cannot have millions of units maintained to deal with just what we had already. This is really, like inventing the wheel when it already exist! Instead, helping nature to recover and to grow more to capture this for us is absolutely the way to go.

1:58 what is the DOI of the article you are referencing here?

Main causes of C02 emissions: Burning fossil fuels: The largest source of CO2 emissions is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas for energy. This includes emissions from electricity generation, transportation, and industrial processes. Land-use changes: Deforestation and land-use changes, such as conversion of forests to agricultural land, can release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Agriculture: Agriculture, particularly livestock farming, is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, primarily methane and nitrous oxide. Industrial processes: The production of cement, steel, and other industrial products can release large amounts of CO2 emissions. Residential and commercial buildings: Energy use in buildings for heating, cooling, and electricity can also contribute to CO2 emissions. We know the cause, we have some solutions. The only things that are preventing us from making changes are the people, governments and companies that are currently profiting from our current way of life, its not sustainable. Words are getting us nowhere... Actions speak louder than words.

Economist usually avoids biophysical reality like the plague as it mentions the unstated costs of the industrial system it thoughtlessly promotes.

Wittgenstein O - “Reminder - At Davos they ate the most expensive beef from Japan and the best foods not a insect in sight. Insisted on planes being piloted by unjabbed pilots. Flew in on private jets and helicoptered to waiting SUVs. Hypocrisy at its finest.”

Thank You For This awesome Documentary❤❤❤. (Please Save The Ocean🙏🙏🙏) (Please Save The Earth🙏🙏🙏).

Oceanic acidification happens first. This happened in the past, during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. The world warmed by 5-8°C, there were rainforests in North America. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere sky rocketed, the oceans absorb carbon dioxide and the ocean suffers first. Then once the ocean can’t take anymore, the air becomes more concentrated with carbon dioxide and the heat on land sky rockets as well.

I’d like to see other potential contributors to falling ph levels. I have a pool, and one option to lower my ph is to add fresh water. I think we need to add the melting ice caps to the equation. Also, in the San Francisco Bay Area, we push so much treated water into the bay that the salinity (and ph) has dropped in the bay.

Solid na Documentary na naman

Wow! Amazing work keep it up! It’s totally amazing seeing these kind of animals!❤

Cute that "The Economist" figured out that economists killed the Earth.

Ive not heard of any geo engineering concepts surrounding ocean acidification, ive seen some projects that can remove CO2 from the atmosphere though

✨🌎🇺🇸 Excellent Field Environment Reporting 👍

Well put together documentary

But... I live in the middle of the US, not by the ocean. Our plants are dying, so are insects, birds, and wildlife, but we aren't near any large cities here in rural Colorado. Our skies are consistently hazy, but we aren't near a large airport. Nature is suffering but I don't do anything to cause it to. Could it be that we all affect each other's lives? I hope you sense the sarcasm.

Interesting! Shocking and worrying. Why is this the first time I am hearing about it?

Great documentary.

Great video, mate! It gives us an insight to remind people about the danger. Need more of these.

On top of the acidification is the sheer volume of debris and chemicals being washed into the ocean after every major weather event. Petroleum products, garbage, soot and topsoil, pesticides, debris from damaged and destroyed homes....

How does melting ice caps affect the ocean acidification?

Oh, this reminds me of acid rain and the hole in the ozone.

Heartbreaking... watch so you can help your children and their children 🙏

Literally every country in the world: I'll ignore that

Hmmm Polar caps contain fresh water, Maybe they are supposed to be melting.

this video hype those baby oysters so cute

The hardest part is how big it is. So depressing.

this realy inspired me to becom a marine biolegist

The only answer currently is nuclear fission, unfortunately the nuclear industry is highly reluctant to update there reactors to a safer non-uranium and water design like Thorium Molten Salt Reactor. So if you're planning on fish&chips in the distant future you will be paying dearly for it, from a aquaponics Farm that grows tilapia a reasonable cod substitute. The farm will most likely be powered by a thorium reactor purchased from China.

Thanks for the inspirating tutorial. It a game changer and I appreciate coming across your video

I like tech but huge sea grass and kelp farms sound sustainable and could produce more jobs, products and sea life to hide from predators.

"If the world were to end all meat and dairy production and transition to a plant-based food system over the next 15 years, it would prevent enough greenhouse gas emissions to effectively cancel out emissions from all other economic sectors for the next 30 to 50 years. That’s according to new research published today in the journal PLOS Climate. The paper’s authors say such a shift would “substantially alter the trajectory of global warming,” as animal agriculture is estimated to account for around 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions."-Vox (Title etc, follows- "This is how much meat and dairy hurt the climate" *That would give us at least 30 years to transition from fossil fuels to renewables!*

We slowly have polluted our own world, its like a way of no return if this continue to go this way.

Dangerous drivel. As regards ocean acidification, it is estimated that the ocean’s global mean surface pH may have declined (i.e., become less alkaline and thus more “acidic”) by -0.07 to -0.08 in the last 200 years - from pH8.12 during pre-industrial times to 8.04 to 8.05 today (Wei et al, 2015). N.B. The decline in pH occurred before 1930. However, and very importantly when you look the data after CO2 emissions began rising precipitously in the 1930s, the oceans have become less “acidic”!!! By way of comparison, from one season to the next, or over the course of less than 6 months, pH levels naturally change by ±0.15 pH units, or twice the overall rate of the last 200 years. On a per-decade scale, the changes are even more pronounced. Oceanic pH values naturally fluctuate up and down by up to 0.6 U within a span of a decade, with an overall range between 7.66 and 8.40. This is decadal rate of pH change is larger than the overall 200-year span (0.07-0.08) by a factor of 8.

The lower the pH value, the higher the acidity of a liquid. Solutions with low pH are acidic and solutions with high pH are basic (also known as alkaline). Prior to the Industrial Revolution, average ocean pH was about 8.2. Today, average ocean pH is about 8.1. pH is a measure of how acidic/basic water is. The range goes from 0 - 14, with 7 being neutral. pHs of less than 7 indicate acidity, whereas a pH of greater than 7 indicates a base. Based by this science and a wee bit of simple mathematics (Now, I know most of you in the USA will fail to understand this simple mathematical formula as your school test scores reveal), shows that at the current rate, oceans will become acidic by the year 3400. Well past that date if indeed, the polar ice melts.

That paper was written fifteen years ago.

Just remembering haven’t heard about acid rain for a long time

Let's grow lots and lots of kelp, and put the computer data farms underwater (either the Economist or Bloomberg have done a video on that), and change our proteins from cows and seafood to insects. That would help! Oh, and yeah. Back to bicycles.

We should farm native plants and animals we should eat the invasive animals to reduce destruction of wild life and reduce hunger a bit more.

I worked in the CO2 laboratory in college at the PRRC at I can tell you CO2 is highly reactive.

Bicarbonate might be injected in great quantities to buffer ocean acidity -- it is already applied in plankton farms. However, somebody need to pay for it...

All the more reason for me to participate in the Chesapeake bay restoration program.

Yes I think we should all pay as much as we can to the various privately owned companies that collect carbon taxes. They need it more than we do .

What can be done? Nothing, deal with the fact that the Earth has always been changing and will continue to.

Read about all of the cycles of the Earth, we have had this cycle twice in the time the Earth had water.

What's the worst situation, for the future children will find a horrible world 😢. In my case, I'm reusing plastics as much as I can. And I take care my garden. It's not too much but at least is a small step

好節目

Marvelous creation. The video is very informative .

I'm puzzled as to the inclusion of Heimdal in the video. Or, perhaps with a little more generosity and less skepticism, why Climeworks (direct air carbon capture) was not. Without further information it's hard to envision either as more than tech-saviourist, wishful thinking. Up to that point, I thought the video was well done.

We need to findout our alternet food .

I worked at a lime company. Couldn’t crushed lime stone be spread in the oceans? To raise the PH?

For the last three years the planet has cooled. Down 0.04c last year. Antartica recorded the lowest temperatures ever seen this Winter. Lowest Temperatures ever recorded in America, a minus 109f windchill. The Grand Solar Minimum is starting to bite. It's going to get colder for at least 30 to 40 years.

I dont get people who deny everything happening in our world.

It is not an Evil twin, Death is twin to none. If the ocean acidifies that's it, game over. Everyone Everywhere dies.

What about these committees impact in Alaska that killing all type of animals for consumption and exportation?

Acidified oceans are tangy!

Great job, humanity. What's next?

I don't understand some of the comments here, what do they have against combating climate change? and how is this topic even still debated, it is well established that we caused climate change and it should be stopped. Really bewilders me how there are still people not believing it exists.

Nobody ever talks about breading " the world is over populated it simply can't sustain

Can we just dump pH up into the oceans?

The Economist does not have the interests of the environment in mind.

Great topic!!

As to contributing sources of carbon dioxide, many of us are angry and disgusted with corporations and governments for their lies that cars are the main cause. The truth is that stationaly pollutersare the main source yet continue to get away with it while we drivers are constantly attacked.

Don't forget the 10's of thousands of tires they dumped in the Puget Sound that we are trying to clean up???

Wow……. The whole body of the ocean could become highly acidic. That is so depressing

2:35 76% thinner shells?? What if your bones were 76% thinner???

omfg 😮

Change will never happen there is way too much investment & profit at risk. It’s all about make your mark & make it while you can, let other generations deal with the repercussions.

so, if I use baking soda for cleaning, if hundreds or thousands or millions of people use baking soda for cleaning, would that help the oceans? if we dumped hundreds of gigatons of baking soda into the ocean at say the tip of greenland, can we help stop ocean acidification?

carbondioxide 👁️ The concrete is alkaline. What will happen when the acid sea water meets the basement of concrete construction?

ocean currents render oceans, a chaotic mess so how is it fair to take a sample of water from one spot in the ocean and expect it to be representative of the entire ocean? design an experiment with 11 flat bottomed flasks, each containing air with, 0.00%, 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.03%, 0.04%, 0.05%, 0.06%, 0.07%, 0.08%, 0.09%, 0.10% of carbon dioxide and a thermometer. keep them equidistant from a heat source and monitor their temperatures over a 24 hour period, to confirm how co2 affects atmospheric temperatures.

Hard to understand, too much music-noise.