Take Positive Action
Climate change is affecting both the health and financial livelihood of Puget Sound. By Sarah Polyakov
“This we know, our world is changing faster and more dramatically than ever before. As a parent and as a grandparent, I cannot consciously accept the dangers of climate change for my family or yours.” Washington State Governor, Jay Inslee
When many hear the phrases climate change or global warming, they think in terms of melting icebergs and global impacts that they believe are centuries away. There are others who tune out completely and believe climate change is a partisan issue being used to further certain political agendas. Finally, there are those, male and female, Democrat and Republican, who review the facts and recognize the very real current impacts to both our local and global economies.
Joseph Romm, PhD, likens climate change to a baseball player breaking records. Dr. Romm keenly observes, “Like a baseball player on steroids, our climate system is breaking records at an unnatural pace” (yearsoflivingdangerously.com). Climate change might be like a baseball player on steroids, but in baseball, there are winners as well as losers. But, with climate change, there are only losers.
On the surface, it might appear that climate change would require people to move to higher ground, as the polar icebergs melt since that is a very obvious global change to observe and forecast. But, it’s the changes that are not as easily observable that have the potential to cause the most disruption and in fact could end up being the most deadly.
Let’s take a look at ocean acidification due to climate change. For millions of years, our oceans have had a stable pH balance, which has created the perfect environment for sea life and has permitted aquatic life of all kinds to thrive.
However, because of climate change due to carbon emissions, the pH balance in our oceans is being affected. As a result, our oceans are becoming more acidic due to too much dissolved CO2. While at the outset, it may not be obvious what type of effect this will have since a change in ocean pH is not visible to the naked eye. Oceanographers and marine biologists have found a very pernicious domino effect is in the works.
The issue with ocean acidification is that the shells of various marine creatures have not adapted. So, the shells of creatures such as pteropods are dissolving. Ocean acidification has already become a real concern for coastal communities right here in Washington state.
“Ocean acidification in Puget Sound was first observed by the shellfish industry. Larval mortalities in select hatcheries and natural set failures in Hood Canal and Willapa Bay over the past five years have created growing alarm over the potential effects of corrosive seawater” (restorationfund.org).
This phenomenon is already affecting salmon fishery yields since this food source for salmon is becoming depleted. But, pteropods don’t only feed salmon; they also feed herrings and other fish species.
Pteropods also serve as a preliminary warning to more things to come since the shells of shellfish are made up of the same material. If left unchecked, some scientists forecast that the entire food web in our oceans might collapse. Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the Center for Biological Diversity, noted, “The science is in, and it says the Northwest’s stretch of ocean, and all the marine life it supports, is in trouble. Washington may also be a warning beacon for the future of our oceans. But it isn’t enough to simply recognize the problem. We have to act, and that means cutting carbon pollution” (skeptcalscience.com).
Not only does this impact our food sources, it also impacts jobs right here at home. Our fishing industry supports around 67,000 jobs and brings millions of dollars in revenue to Washington state. We also have many shellfish growers, some family-owned over generations, that farm oysters, mussels, and clams. Our growers contribute around $250 million to our state economy and host several thousand jobs.
Derek Kilmer (D) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (R), both Washington state Representatives, have recognized climate change is a nonpartisan issue and are partnering together to make a difference. Derek Kilmer, who is currently serving in Congress, believes addressing climate change and ocean acidification is a moral imperative. During a short break from Congress, he spoke to me unswervingly about the importance of addressing this issue.
“This should not be partisan issue. This is a threat to community, businesses, and jobs.” Thus, he has encouraged both Democrats and Republicans to join forces. But, Representative Kilmer also brings this issue closer to home, talking to local businesses all along the Washington coast that are impacted by climate change. “This is an issue that matters in so many ways. It’s both a moral and an economic issue. This issue matters so much to our shellfish growers who are dealing in real time with the effects of ocean acidification,” said Kilmer.
The good news is, on May 22, 2014, Republican Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler and Democratic Congressman Derek Kilmer introduced a bill titled the
Ocean Acidification Innovation Act, which would permit federal agencies to leverage existing funds targeted toward managing, researching, and monitoring ocean acidification and the ongoing challenges that it creates.
“Both our Navy and our Defense Department have identified climate change as a threat multiplier,” said Kilmer. “The effects of climate change will cause both food shortages and large populations to be displaced, which will lead to global instability.”
A healthy ecosystem is a gift that is not to be squandered. If it is squandered, all of us find ourselves at a disadvantage. It’s clear that ocean acidification is an issue that affects Puget Sound and could create a cascade of negative repercussions that affect areas beyond our waters.
Yet, not all is lost. Each of us has the opportunity to either begin or to renew our dedication to being stewards of Puget Sound and the planet. Now that a new year has arrived, this is the perfect time to envision today’s long-term effects on our oceans and to figure out what legacy we want to leave to future generations. Now is the time to stand with our Governor and our state Representatives and refuse to accept the dangers of climate change by taking positive action both to lessen global CO2 levels and reverse ocean acidification.
