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Introduction:

About half of the carbons our human societies emit to the atmosphere are taken up by the oceans. A scary thing is that scientists have found that a quite tiny sea (on a planetary scale) is responsible for a large part of this absorption. The North Sea between England and Scandinavia accounts for nearly one fourth of all the carbon emitted by human activities since industrialization. The North Sea functions like our kidneys and are especially well suited for taking up carbon, which then enters the North Atlantic Ocean where it is stored or circulated to the other oceans.

The scary thing is that we do not know for how long this will continue. Scientists can measure that the rate of absorption is decreasing, and no one can say how the coming changes in global currents will affect the absorption. This might be another example of a tipping point. The higher temperatures influence the global ocean currents. This then reduces the amount of carbon that our oceans can absorb, and the temperature increases as a result.

Another factor is that carbon has other roles than being part of a greenhouse gas. When more carbon is absorbed in the oceans, they turn more acidic. The more acidic the oceans become the less CO2 they are able to absorb. But this is not all. When oceans become more acidic, living conditions for many organisms will deteriorate. This is for example the case for corals and many smaller free swimming organisms that make shells of limestone. Limestone dissolves in acids. This not only means less living organisms but also less carbon absorbed, since huge amounts of carbon are found in the limestone deposits of corals and shells.
So, many reasons for researchers to get to understand more about how our oceans function and for us all to decide how we must ensure healthy and functioning oceans.

Directive:

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Read the texts: &ldquo;Animate Earth - Weather Makers&rdquo;, chapter 4 by Tim Flannery and 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&ldquo;Carbon Journeys&rdquo; chapter 5 by Harding.

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Make a series of posters describing the roles oceans have in regulating the Earth&#39;s 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;climate, how human activities are destroying this ability and what consequences this 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; can/will have.

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Discuss your posters with a fellow student and revise if necessary.
Send copies and a note on your discussions to your teacher.

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