Ocean Acidification -- can you see it happening?

[MaxBottomtime]

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags are not good for the environment.

The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days."

The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
The older lady said that she was right our generation didn't have the "green thing" in its day. The older lady went on to explain:
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.

But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then. We walked upstairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.

Back then we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days.

Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.

Back then we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.
In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.
We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the "green thing."

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?

 

[KenGordon]

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags are not good for the environment.

The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days."

The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
The older lady said that she was right our generation didn't have the "green thing" in its day. The older lady went on to explain:
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.

But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then. We walked upstairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.

Back then we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days.

Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.

Back then we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.
In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.
We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the "green thing."

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?

You can copy and paste from Facebook?

Who developed the scheme that puts money over environmental impact? The old people or the young people? The people your copy and paste attacks were not even born when this was identified as an issue.

 

[lexvil]

The older lady is responsible because as soon as a easier cheaper option came along she (we) took it, plain simple fact.

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags are not good for the environment.

The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days."

The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
The older lady said that she was right our generation didn't have the "green thing" in its day. The older lady went on to explain:
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.

But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then. We walked upstairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.

Back then we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days.

Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.

Back then we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.
In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.
We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the "green thing."

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?

 

[Celt]

It’s immaterial if the climate changes or not if there’s nothing left to live for. There’s 80,000 giraffes left compared to 1.5 billion cattle which we have reduced to a mouth to receive nourishment and udders to produce a product. There’s 200,000 wolves compared to 400 million domesticated dogs which we have manipulated into a piece of jewelry. More people commit suicide per year than are killed in wars and all crime put together.

 

[tursiops]

It’s immaterial if the climate changes or not if there’s nothing left to live for. There’s 80,000 giraffes left compared to 1.5 billion cattle which we have reduced to a mouth to receive nourishment and udders to produce a product. There’s 200,000 wolves compared to 400 million domesticated dogs which we have manipulated into a piece of jewelry. More people commit suicide per year than are killed in wars and all crime put together.

It is not about YOU and what YOU have to live for. It's about the next few generations and those that come after them: are we dooming them to instability and discomfort and disease, or are we going to try and mitigate all that? That is, are we content to let things get worse, perhaps considerably worse, or are we willing to try and do something?

 

[Celt]

It is not about YOU and what YOU have to live for. It's about the next few generations and those that come after them: are we dooming them to instability and discomfort and disease, or are we going to try and mitigate all that? That is, are we content to let things get worse, perhaps considerably worse, or are we willing to try and do something?

It is not about YOU and what YOU have to live for. It's about the next few generations and those that come after them: are we dooming them to instability and discomfort and disease, or are we going to try and mitigate all that? That is, are we content to let things get worse, perhaps considerably worse, or are we willing to try and do something?

Where did I mention me.

 

[tursiops]

What is BS? which is inaccurate and which are lies?

See below.

Ask yourself how often the 5 day weather forecast is accurate? Not often.

Some years ago, a 3-day forecast had little skill; and there was none with 5-7 day forecasts. Today, the 3 day forcasta are skillful, and the 5-day forecasts are much better. The improvement is due to an inexorable improvement in the forecasting models, to considerable improvement in the data sets that drive the models, and to improved computing technology. Things will get even better.

Ask yourself how many predictions have proven accurate? None.

Kind of depends on the kind of prediction, doesn't it. I predict the sun will rise tomorrow. The more detailed and farther-out the prediction, often the less chance for "accuracy" there is. But I also predict the sun will rise 386 days from now, at a specific time at your location. Your statement that no predictions have proven accurage is nonsense.

Ask yourself this, why is there always some crisis that requires something from you?

Because we keep doing things that cause problems. It is not always a crisis, by the way, but chicken-littles love to call everything a crisis, just as ostriches love to stick their head in the sand. And the longer we ignore a problem and wait to address it, the more likely it is to become a real crisis. Social-security funding is an example. You are not old enough to need it yet, but good luck to you when you hope to get it.

Ask yourself this, why are hurricanes suddenly the fault of climate change?

They are not, and no scientist has said that. YOU said that. You apparently know nothing about it. What HAS been said is that the frequency of hurricanes is likely to increase, and perhaps the severity. That will take a while to see if it is a true statement.

There are far too many variables in play that are too poorly understood for their “science” to be real.

I hope you never need a doctor. They do the best they can with the information they have, and they are getting better and better at it. Throwing up your hands and saying we don't know everything therefore we know nothing is the approach of a loser, not a problem solver.

Climate change is a cult. Yes, label me a denier. The climate changes daily and there is nothing we can do to change that fact of nature.

Climate does not change daily; that is a complete misunderstanding, or perhaps fabrication. Climate is the long-term (years and decades) response and average of weather and weather systems. Yes, you are correct; the climate has changed historically (over hundreds and thousands of years) and will do so again in the future, due to quite natural causes. The issue now is that it is demonstrably changing much more rapidly than EVER in the past, we understand why, and neither we nor the natural systems can adapt fast enough to mitigate and deal with those human-cause changes.

Suggestion: if you live in a low-lying area of the Gulf Coast or the East Coast, move now to higher ground. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to do. You really don't want to be the last rat off the ship. It doesn't matter if you are a climate-denier or not....the sea level is rising. It shouldn't matter to you what is causing it, you don't want to be caught in it. Move now.

 

[GJC]

Climate change is one of the big environmental issues -- I do believe it will turn out to be the biggest crisis of the 21st century. One of the ramifications of global climate change is ocean acidification, which, if what I have been reading is correct, could devastate the entire oceanic ecosystem. Worst-case scenario is the possibility of all multicellular ocean life disappearing. My question is: is this phenomenon something you can see visually? When you dive, can you observe visible signs of ocean acidification? What does it look like?

It looks like all the dead coral that you now see in Florida and the Bahamas that was alive in the 1970s.

 

[tursiops]

Where did I mention me.

YOU is the generic plural large-scale YOU. the point is, this is not about now; it is about the future for our grandchildren and beyond.

 

[tursiops]

It looks like all the dead coral that you now see in Florida and the Bahamas that was alive in the 1970s.

That coral death, which is undeniable, was not caused by ocean acidification.