Maine Report Warns Of ‘Urgent’ Need To Address Ocean Acidification

[Vic Tree]

Source: Think Progress

by Katie Valentine
Posted on February 6, 2015 at 9:06 pm

Maine will soon need to make “hard decisions” on what to do to protect its rapidly acidifying waters, according to a new report.

The report, released Thursday by a commission charged with studying the impacts ocean acidification has on Maine’s marine environment creatures — including lucrative lobsters and other crustaceans — states that, for Maine and its seafood industry, addressing ocean acidification is an “urgent” matter. After reviewing the scientific literature on ocean acidification, the panel, which contained marine scientists, state lawmakers, a fisherman, members of an environmental group, and others, said that Maine — and the U.S. in general — needed more research on ocean acidification and its impacts.

“Perhaps the most alarming of the commission’s findings is how much we do not know about ocean acidification and how it will affect Maine’s commercially important species, including the iconic lobster,” the report’s authors write.

Ocean acidification is an often-ignored effect of carbon pollution — increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere not only trap heat, but also saturate the oceans, creating higher levels of carbonic acid. This makes the water more acidic, which endangers marine life, including corals, shellfish and plankton.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/02/06/3619987/maine-ocean-acidification-report/

[cynzke]

1. Let's Study It....

Yeah, that's the ticket! We know what causes it. We know what we must do. But hey, drag our feet and STUDY ourselves to death, LITERALLY!

[mountain grammy]

2. Small problem (well not so small): The gov'nor.

Maine lawmakers appear poised to take the issue seriously, however. On Thursday, lawmakers introduced four bills aimed at slowing acidification off the coast of Maine. Two of the bills would limit runoff pollution, which, in addition to carbon dioxide emissions, contributes to ocean acidification, and one would create a $3 million bond to monitor pollution sources along Maine’s coast. The fourth would ensure the ocean acidification commission remains in operation for the next three years.
These bills might run into some trouble from Maine’s Gov. Paul LePage (R), who denies the reality of climate change and has vetoed legislation in the past that would have created working group to deliver proposals for how the state can adapt to climate change. But the lawmakers in charge of the bills aren’t backing down just yet.

He "denies the reality of climate change." Who did those fisherman vote for?

[tanyev]

3. Maybe Gov. LePage will schedule a Day of Prayer to take care of the problem.

[vkkv]

5. Just as TX Rep. Louis Gohmert would advise..

[tanyev]

6. Oh, we've got even higher level morons than that.

LePage joins Texas governor in supporting ‘day of prayer’

By Steve Mistler, Sun Journal

Posted July 20, 2011, at 1:34 p.m.
Last modified July 20, 2011, at 3:52 p.m.

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage is supporting a call to make Aug. 6 a national day of prayer and fasting, a move hailed by Christian groups but assailed by organizations who believe the state shouldn’t promote one religion over another.

The governor signed the proclamation in early June, joining Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is presiding over a national event that will be held at Reliant Stadium in Houston on the same day.

http://bangordailynews.com/2011/07/20/politics/lepage-joins-texas-governor-in-supporting-%E2%80%98day-of-prayer%E2%80%99/

[vkkv]

4. Electing governors like the idiot LePage isn't helping Maine's

cause, or reason for me to hope you get some tax dollars to address your problems.


You are still a Red State in my mind.