Oceana Urges Passage of New Ocean Acidification Resolution | Oceana

Oceana Urges Passage of New Ocean Acidification Resolution

Press Release Date: December 16, 2009

Location: Washington, D.C.

Contact:

Anna Baxter | email: abaxter@oceana.org
Anna Baxter

 U.S. House of Representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Edward Markey (D-MA) and their colleagues today introduced a resolution to call on the United States to adopt national policies and support international agreements to address ocean acidification, to study the effects of ocean acidification, and to address the effects of acidification on marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

Ocean acidification, a change in pH accelerated by the absorption of carbon dioxide by seawater, could cause vast changes in the oceans, ranging from a mass extinction of coral reefs to a collapse of the marine food web. 

International ocean conservation group Oceana thanks Representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Edward Markey (D-MA) for their leadership on ocean acidification and urges members of the House of Representatives to pass this resolution without delay.

“This isn’t pie in the sky stuff here: ocean acidification threatens the foundation of life in our oceans,” said Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA).  “I am proud to work with Congressman Markey on this resolution and I hope to have it passed soon.” 

“As NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco told the Select Committee this month, ocean acidification threatens the shellfish and marine life that are a key part of our economy in Massachusetts,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA). “Congressman Inslee and I are introducing this resolution today — as the world gathers at the climate talks in Copenhagen – to highlight the need to address the impacts of ocean acidification on the health of our oceans. We need to act to restore balance to our energy policies and the pH level of our oceans.”

“We hope this resolution will strengthen U.S. efforts to control the damage to oceans caused by climate change, as we work toward a clean energy economy,” said Jacqueline Savitz, senior climate campaign director, Oceana.  

Oceana’s team of marine scientists, economists, lawyers and advocates win specific and concrete policy changes to reduce pollution and to prevent the irreversible collapse of fish populations, marine mammals and other sea life.  Global in scope and dedicated to conservation, Oceana has campaigners based in North America, Europe, South and Central America.

For more information, please visit http://na.oceana.org/en/our-work/climate-energy.