Finally, Some Good News About Our Oceans

After the flurry of depressing posts about the oceans yesterday, here are some reasons to be hopeful.

Check out this post by Julie M. over on Celsias;

Finally, Some Good News About Our Oceans

Posted using ShareThis

Here's an excerpt directly pertaining to one of my posts yesterday.

"In another positive move for our oceans, in response to a petition and threatened litigation by the Center for Biodiversity , the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in February agreed to review how ocean acidification should be addressed under the federal Clean Water Act.

Ocean acidification results from the ocean's absorption of excess CO2 in the atmosphere, resulting in increased acidity and changes in the seawater chemistry which in turn can hinder the ability of marine animals to build and maintain their protective shells and skeletons. The Center has asked the EPA to impose stricter pH standards for ocean water quality as well as publish guidelines to help states protect U.S. waters.

The EPA's formal response to the petition sets out a public process to evaluate ocean acidification's impact on water quality, as well as determining whether the current water quality criterion for pH should be modified to address these new concerns. The EPA also agreed to develop biological assessment tools and other technical guidance with regard to evaluating the health of coral reefs that are specifically threatened by ocean acidification."