>The worlds oceans are full. Sea levels are rising as glaciers and ice sheets melt and thermal expansion increases the volume of the oceans, but the oceans are not just full of water. They are full of Carbon Dioxide and are slowing their absorption of the gas from the atmosphere according to a study reported in the New York Times – www.nytimes.com. What does this mean? More CO2 in the atmosphere, speeding climate change, melting ice sheets and adding to the already overflowing ocean. Yikes! Since the beginning of the industrial revolution the oceans have steadily absorbed CO2 (obviously not enough to totally offset human emissions) but that rate has slowed since 1980, most dramatically since 2000. This is because increasing amounts of CO2 in the oceans change their chemical composition, making them more acidic and reducing their ability to absorb CO2. This is the worst kind of positive feedback loop. Combined with the disappearance of polar ice caps allowing more of the suns radiation to be absorbed by the oceans we could be living in a steamy world in short order. Yikes again!
