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In a previous article on this site, I speak of the less than accurate reporting done by Associated Press Writer John Heilprin, where he takes comments from Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary researcher Andrew DeVogelaere explaining the latest position on CO2s involvement in yet another scurrilous environmental assault. Killing the Ocean’s crustaceans. This much derided elemental gas supporting all life on this planet must be near a panic attack at this point, overwhelmed by all of the unfounded accusations after all it has done for the Earth’s trillions of life forms over the eons.

To truly assess the theory proposed by DeVogelaere, that anthropogenic CO2 production is debasing (acidifying) the oceans, one must first consider the fact that volcanic eruptions account for over 130 million tonnes of this gas released into the atmosphere every year.

This say’s nothing of the aquatic eruptions which constantly release CO2 from various geothermal sites across the globe.

Moreover, the data reporting at these sites cannot possibly take into account each and every eruption, many of them discreetly releasing high concentrations of CO2 without incident, simply due to a lack of H20 in the equation which typically exacerbates volcanic activity to the point of seismic fluctuations and explosive effects. Thus the actual amount is almost certainly significantly higher than suggested.

Volcanoes' acid effects are at, or near, the top of the list in capabilities since they release massive amounts of corrosive elements such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) which is third behind water vapor (H2O) and CO2 respectively, and to a lesser degree hydrogen sulfide (H2S), hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen chloride (HCL), hydrogen fluoride (HF) and helium (HE); as found in a chart on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website.

What stands in stark contrast to the claims made by DeVogelaere is the fact that all of these measurements are for sights in Hawaii, where active volcanoes not only emit a great deal of these corrosive elements and massive amounts of CO2 into the air, they also drain molten lava directly into the sea, thus producing deadly concentrations of hydrochloric acid (HCL), an element well known to be one of the most corrosive acids on the planet.

However, this paradise is a veritable sanctuary of teaming marine life in all varieties, with some of the most amazing coral reef formations in the world. As a long time visitor to that pristine region, this author can state with certainty that the amount of emissions released from the Big Island of Hawaii are much higher than current reporting suggests.

What is also significant is that one of the major elements in sea water is Bromide, an acid which is highly corrosive. This element is found as Iodine in all crustaceans and to a slightly lesser degree, in all oceanic plant life. Furthermore, it is a critical element to their survival.

Bromide is found in many industrial applications as it is a major component in fine chemicals. It is also prevalently used in fire retardants. Approximately 556,000 metric tons were produced in 2007 alone.

This highly corrosive element is also a much heavier component in the environment, thus a more plausible coefficient increasing oceanic acidification than is the gas CO2. Furthermore, the fact that Bromide is used widely in fine chemicals illuminates its propensity to saturate much of daily life, and even become air-born, thus easily finding its way into storm drains and coastal precipitation.

Another indicator the article did not address is the fact that this planet is constantly releasing various forms of gases and acids, and mainly into the oceans.

This release of elements is enabled by the natural activities of this planet which causes it to slowly degrade over its life cycle, releasing inherent elements inured during its formation, such as sulfur, CO2, helium, methane, and a whole host of other elements. These also significantly affect sea acidity, thus fluctuating in varying degrees the ability for calcification and dissolution at various depths. Moreover, these releases are not linear (set gradual increase or decrease), they are determined by planetary motions such as speed and attitude, as well as atmospheric pressures and electromagnetic variances, and are constantly fluctuating over meta cycles which cannot as yet be determined conclusively.

Global Warming is also directly affected by volcanic activity, but to a lesser degree since it is the explosive nature of actual eruptions which converts sulfur dioxide (SO2) to sulfuric acid (H2SO4), a major GHG coefficient which, while reflecting solar radiation back into space, also traps heat emitted by the Earth. This trade off likely causes any change to be rather negligible though.

What is significant to the oceans however, is that sulfuric acid is yet another factor which contributes to the acidity of the oceans, and is typically emitted in large amounts where the marine environment appears to be entirely unaffected.

Since this type of research is extremely time consuming and this researcher receives absolutely no compensation for the many hours of painstaking dedication to the people (also refusing to accept ad monies), just one more point of interest will consummate this latest article.

However, be assured that the data debunking the claims against humanity's dear friend CO2 are voluminous. Thus, further analysis will follow as time permits.

What is rather perplexing is the fact that the Associated Press article by Heilprin claims that carbonic acid is the big “evil” destabilizing the fragile shells of crustaceans. However carbonic acid is merely the composite of simple salts such as carbonate, or better known as calcium carbonate.

The fact that the Wikipedia website was updated on December 20, 2009 to explain in nauseatingly pedantic semantics the alleged effects of concentration levels on carbonic acid's ability to calcify or dissolve, still does nothing to prove their claim that it is over-acidifying the oceans. Especially when one considers that the element itself is an alkali. Furthermore there is no data to suggest that CO2 emissions affect the alkalinity of the oceans either.

Truly, for the Associated Press to now be pushing, not only unproven data, but out right fictional pseudo-science as if it were credible, is entirely unconscionable in this currently balkanized arena of sanctimonious CO2 slander.

Furthermore, this factually fortified reporter is seriously considering taking their feed off of the factbat site. Which will be determined by whether they intend to print a more in depth and credible article. The clock is ticking gentlemen.