To all: I just realized I did not properly attribute the source of the article at the beginning of the thread: Shipping<https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Shipping&src=hash> emissions <https://twitter.com/search?q=%23emissions&src=hash> can lead to high local ocean <https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ocean&src=hash> acidification <https://twitter.com/search?q=%23acidification&src=hash>. >From European Commission - Science for Environment Policy http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/337na5.pdf
Best regards, Oscar E. On Fri, Feb 14, 2014 at 10:49 AM, Oscar Escobar <oscar2000esco...@gmail.com>wrote: > Thanks Bruce, > > It is interesting, and sure... should be studied, but underwater and > surface volcanic eruptions were happening before the industrial age. But > the topic is about anthropogenic sulfure sources, specifically shipping, > which 'we' can do something about through regulations. > > But if we want to take it globally and stress the need for more stringent > regulations, then, I like to point out that besides the large ocean impacts > of shipping's sulfur emissions, there are other human and environmental > health issues, there may be also a large effect on the hydrological cycle: > Tropical > Rainfall Trends and the Indirect Aerosol Effect. > > Leon D. Rotstayn > http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015%3C2103%3ATRTATI%3E2.0.CO%3B2 > > Lets add to that shipping's soot emissions: Effects of soot-induced snow > albedo change on snowpack and hydrological cycle in western United States > based on Weather Research and Forecasting chemistry and regional climate > simulations. Yun Qian et al > http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2008JD011039/abstract > > So to recap: > > *Shipping emissions:* > > *1. *Can lead to* hight local ocean acidification * > > *2. Affects human health* > > *3. Effects on the surface environment (acid deposition, etc)* > > *4. Effects on the hydrological cycle (drough - flood)* > > *5. Effects on surface albedo (soot on snow)* > > So, if someone would like to point out the 'beneficial' effects > of shipping emissions ie. solar radiation scattering, do so, but don't > discount any of the negative effects. > > Best regards, > > Oscar E. > > > On Thursday, February 13, 2014 3:02:37 PM UTC-5, French, Bruce wrote: > >> Oscar, >> >> >> >> You might find this information on submarine volcanoes of interest: >> >> >> >> http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/geology/submarine_eruptions.html >> >> >> >> http://news.stanford.edu/news/2011/september/acidsea-hurt- >> biodiversity-091211.html >> >> >> >> Now, perhaps what is needed is a large-scale, coordinated effort to >> investigate the contribution of these eruptions to the problem of ocean >> acidification (deep and surface waters). >> >> >> >> Bruce >> >> >> >> *From:* geoengi...@googlegroups.com [mailto:geoengi...@googlegroups.com] *On >> Behalf Of *Oscar Escobar >> >> *Sent:* Thursday, February 13, 2014 12:31 PM >> *To:* geoengi...@googlegroups.com >> *Cc:* oscar200...@gmail.com >> >> *Subject:* Re: [geo] Shipping emissions can lead to high local ocean >> acidification >> >> >> >> Greg: >> >> >> >> I don't know what you mean by saying that "this problem would seem to >> pale in comparison to CO2 acidification with an ocean input of about 8 GT >> (vs thand NOx). Also, probably dwarfed by SOx and NOx from land based >> generation" >> >> >> >> I think the point of the article is the *heightened "local" and >> temporal*effects of shipping emissions, specially in coastal areas close to >> shipping >> routes. Also, shipping SOx is estimated to be 16% of all global >> emissions (all inclusive I take it to be), perhaps *comparable to those >> of all road vehicles in the world*. >> >> The 16% figure from this study: Ship impacts on the marine atmosphere: >> insights into the contribution of shipping emissions to the properties of >> marine aerosol and clouds http://www.atmos-chem- >> phys.net/12/8439/2012/acp-12-8439-2012.pdf (Coggon et al.) >> >> >> >> As to solutions: >> >> >> >> Perhaps a change in fuel, coxed (pun intended) by regulation, would have >> a more immediate effect... "Thanks to decisions taken in London by the body >> that polices world shipping, this pollution could kill as many as a million >> more people in the coming decade - even though a simple change in the rules >> could stop it" Fred Pearce in "How 16 ships create as much pollution as all >> the cars in the world" (2009 DailyMail article) http://www.dailymail. >> co.uk/sciencetech/article-1229857/How-16-ships-create- >> pollution-cars-world.html >> >> >> >> By the way, he also makes the point: *"The most staggering statistic of >> all is that just 16 of the world's largest ships can produce as much >> lung-clogging sulphur pollution as all the world's cars." *I don't know >> how accurate this statistic is, but It does re-enforce the argument for >> the local and temporal ocean acidification effects of shipping emissions. >> >> >> >> Best regards, >> >> >> >> Oscar E. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Wednesday, February 12, 2014 6:14:13 PM UTC-5, Greg Rau wrote: >> >> Thanks, Oscar. However,e stated MTs of SOX this problem would seem to >> pale in comparison to CO2 acidification with an ocean input of about 8 GT >> (vs thand NOx). Also, probably dwarfed by SOx and NOx from land based >> generation. Speaking of seawater scrubbing, this is also commonly done at >> power plants (esp Asia) - good for air but very efficiently acidifies the >> ocean. Solution - place limestone downstream of the gas/seawater >> contacting. You could do the same for ships if they were wiling to >> sacrifice some cargo tonnage for limestone. >> >> Greg >> ------------------------------ >> >> *From:* geoengi...@googlegroups.com [geoengi...@googlegroups.com] on >> behalf of Oscar Escobar [oscar200...@gmail.com] >> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 12, 2014 1:00 PM >> *To:* geoengi...@googlegroups.com >> *Subject:* [geo] Shipping emissions can lead to high local ocean >> acidification >> >> Strong acids formed from shipping emissions can produce seasonal 'hot >> spots' of >> >> ocean acidification, a recent study finds. These hot spots, in ocean >> areas close to >> >> busy shipping lanes, could have negative effects on local marine ecology >> and >> >> commercially farmed seafood species. >> >> >> >> Shipping emissions can lead to high local >> >> ocean acidification >> >> >> >> Oceans have become more acidic since pre-industrial times. The average >> global ocean pH - >> >> which decreases with increasing acidity - has dropped by 0.1 because the >> seas have >> >> absorbed 30-40% of manmade CO2. However, it is not only CO2 that can >> acidify oceans. >> >> Shipping emissions, a significant source of atmospheric pollution, >> annually release around >> >> 9.5 million metric tons of sulphur and 16.2 million metric tons of nitric >> oxides. >> >> >> >> When dissolved in seawater, these pollutants are converted into the >> strong sulphuric and >> >> nitric acids, adding to ocean acidification. Increasing acidity poses a >> threat to marine >> >> ecosystems, harming species such as coral and algae, as well as >> commercial aquaculture >> >> species, such as shellfish. >> >> >> >> The researchers used state of the art computer modelling techniques and >> datasets to create >> >> a high resolution simulation of global shipping emissions' effects on >> ocean acidity. The >> >> simulation calculated the acidifying impacts of shipping sulphur and >> nitric oxide emissions on >> >> a month by month basis, over one year. In addition to shipping-related >> influences on acidity, >> >> the model also included many physical and environmental factors, such as >> ocean surface >> >> water mixing and atmospheric effects. >> >> >> >> The results agreed with previous studies of the average annual ocean >> acidification, but, >> >> importantly, revealed significant differences between regions and >> seasons. Ocean >> >> acidification was highest in the northern hemisphere, occurring in 'hot >> spots' close to coastal >> >> areas and busy shipping lanes during the summer months. These 'hot spots' >> coincide with >> >> peak activity of some biological processes, such as plankton blooms and >> fish hatching, >> >> where they may cause greater harm. On a local scale, the acidification - >> a pH drop of >> >> 0.0015-0.0020 - was equal to CO2's global annual acidifying effects. >> >> >> >> The model did not include some coastal ocean areas, such as the >> Mediterranean Sea, as >> >> there were limitations in the oceanographic atlases used. However, >> acidification is likely to >> >> be high in these areas given the heavy shipping traffic from ports. >> >> >> >> International regulation is in place to reduce shipping atmospheric >> sulphur emissions >> >> through the International Maritime Organization's Emission Control Areas >> (ECA), which are >> >> in force in four ocean areas, including the Baltic and North Seas. One >> technology commonly >> >> used to achieve ECA targets is 'seawater scrubbing', where exhaust >> pollutants are removed >> >> using seawater. >> >> >> >> This study drew on data from 2000 and 2002, prior to the enforcement of >> ECAs. However, >> >> the researchers note that seawater scrubbing, without additional steps to >> neutralise the >> >> acids that it produces, causes acidification in regions where >> biodiversity or commercial >> >> aquaculture may be most negatively affected. These previously overlooked >> sources of ocean >> >> acidification and policy impacts could be used to inform future >> discussions of controls >> >> relating to shipping emissions or ocean acidification >> >> >> >> The study: >> >> >> >> *Shipping contributes to ocean acidification* >> >> Ida-Maja Hassellöv et al DOI: 10.1002/grl.50521 >> >> http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/grl.50521/full<http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com%2Fdoi%2F10.1002%2Fgrl.50521%2Ffull&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHJSxPMNe8CpfUrXOtZREvy7hx6jg> >> >> http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/grl.50521/abstract >> >> >> Abstract >> >> [1] The potential effect on surface water pH of emissions of SO*X* and NO >> *X* from global ship routes is assessed. The results indicate that >> regional pH reductions of the same order of magnitude as the CO2-driven >> acidification can occur in heavily trafficked waters. These findings have >> important consequences for ocean chemistry, since the sulfuric and nitric >> acids formed are strong acids in contrast to the weak carbonic acid formed >> by dissolution of CO2. Our results also provide background for >> discussion of expanded controls to mitigate acidification due to these >> shipping emissions. >> >> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "geoengineering" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to geoengineerin...@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to geoengi...@googlegroups.com. >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "geoengineering" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to geoengineerin...@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to geoengi...@googlegroups.com. >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. 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