Study: Climate change is heating our oceans to unsustainable temperatures
Climate change is transforming our ocean waters, leaving them not only warmer but less hospitable to life.
The latest special report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released Sept. 25, outlined how global warming has impacted the ocean more than any other ecosystem—putting marine life and coastal populations at risk. The IPCC urged “timely, ambitious and coordinated action” to mitigate the harm climate change has done to our oceans.
“Amazing marine animals—the whales, dolphins and sea turtles that captivate our imagination—are in trouble,” said Kelsey Lamp, Protect Our Oceans advocate for our national network. “Climate change is not their fault, and they can’t cut emissions and reduce global warming themselves. We need to do it for them.”
Our network is tackling the climate crisis through campaigns to put more zero-emission electric vehicles on the road, cut emissions from power plants, and transition the country to 100 percent clean and renewable energy.
Photo: Global warming has ravaged our oceans more than any other ecosystem, threatening marine wildlife. Credit: NOAA Photo Library via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).