Sunday, November 1, 2009

An ocean acidification reference

The seemingly thorough lack of concern of Steven Levitt and Steven Dubner for ocean acidification in the geoengineering chapter of their recent Superfreakonomics has brought this once-obscure environmental problem to the mainstream consciousness.

Of course,this means that denialist hoke is starting. ("They can't call it 'acidification' if the ocean is not turning to ACID. It's ALARMISM! RELIGION!!!!!1111!!ONE")

Those who want to bring themselves up-to-speed on the science of global warming and the associated climate changes have things easy: the IPCC Working Group 1 summarized the literature up to 2007. The IPCC doesn't cover ocean acidification at all, as it isn't climate change. The Royal Society, however, has written a very fair review, accessible to the lay reader.