What Causes Ocean Acidification?

Causes of Ocean Acidification:

Ocean acidification is a global issue caused by increasing levels of Carbon Dioxide in earth’s atmosphere. The U.S. is one of the largest contributors of carbon emissions in the world. Carbon emissions are generated by industry, trade, transport, energy production, and many other sources.  The production of electricity is a huge contributing factor to the rising levels of carbon emissions. Although some clean energy solutions have been implemented, they do not even come close to producing the same amount of energy that we produce by burning coal and other fuels each year. The combustion of coal releases many different types of pollution into the environment, carbon dioxide being one of them. Industries that use large amounts of electricity are therefore indirectly responsible (if not directly responsible) for the release of carbon dioxide. Within the U.S., just six industries consume the majority of the electricity that is produced. According to data collected in 2006, the six industries that used the majority of U.S. electricity were:

1.      Petroleum Refining

2.      Chemical Production

3.      Primary Metal Production,

4.      Paper Production

5.      Food processing/Production/Transportation/Storage

6.      Mineral Production

The fact that these six industries consume the majority of the electricity that is produced is a problem that needs to be addressed, especially because most of these industries release large amounts of carbon emissions during production, in addition to the carbon dioxide released during the production of the electricity that fuel them.

            Transportation is also a major factor in the rising levels of carbon emissions seen in the U.S. Cars and smaller trucks are responsible for up to two thirds of emissions from transportation, leaving the other third to planes, freight trucks, trains and boats.