World Oceans Day 2013: Five Big Problems Faced by Our Seas

Source: worldoceansday.org

Oceans are a great source of inspiration, food and even renewable energy.  However, we treat them like an enormous dumping ground and forget that we are submitting our seas to some serious stress.  World Oceans Day on 8 June 2013 reminds us that our seas can be more fragile that we often think.

CO2 Tops 400 ppm for First Time in Human History

Source: The Guardian

On 2 May 2013, carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere reached 400 parts-per-million (ppm) for the first time in human history.  This record was measured by the NOAA/ESRL's Global Monitoring Division in Mauna Loa, Hawaii.  The daily average for 9 May 2013 was an alarming 400.03 ppm.  When measurements started in 1958, the daily average was around 315 ppm, already a much higher level than the pre-industrial average of 280 ppm. 

Ocean Acidification, the Other CO2 Problem

Source: NRDC

The debate around global warming was revived this week when formerly sceptical climate scientist, Richard Muller, confirmed in his recent study from the Berkeley Earth Project that global warming is caused by human activity.  But increased carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from our use of fossil fuels have another serious consequence.  Meet ocean acidification, the other CO₂ problem.

Global Swarming For Global Warming

A new Facebook application is helping users measure their carbon footprint, create tailored goals to reduce it and then track their progress over time and compare their personal ‘Carbon Timeline’ with their friends.  The application, known as ‘Edenbee’, is the brainchild of two Dubliners, David Hayes and Peter O’Brien, whose belief in the importance of individual action in fighting climate change led them to set up the Edenbee website.  Using Facebook as a platform to launch their application has now enabled them to reach an even larger potential audience of 65 million people.

The still-growing popularity of social networks such as twitter and Facebook makes them ideal vehicles for launching environmental campaigns and attracting supporters to the climate change cause.  The contagious nature of the uptake of new applications on Facebook and the phenomenon of ‘keeping up Facebook appearances’ work in the favour of environmentally-aware applications such as Edenbee.  With manageable goals (‘turn my thermostat down by one degree’, ‘switch off my mobile phone charger when it’s not in use’), links to favourite ‘causes’ such 350.org (see our previous blog on this) and the encouragement to compare your climate change achievements with those your friends, Edenbee should be a runaway success in promoting environmental awareness.

At the same time, Facebook applications can come and go very quickly.  As soon as the novelty wears off, users are onto the next hot thing.  The creators of Edenbee are promoting a bottom-up approach to action on climate change centred on individual action, but can Edenbee actually influence the political agenda?  ‘Join the call for a strong climate treaty at Copenhagen with tcktcktck and their partners’ is one of the ‘goals’ users of the application can sign up to on Facebook.  Spreading awareness and popularising the climate change cause using social networks is certainly a start, but it remains to be seen whether Edenbee can be more than just a passing fad.