Oceans losing ability to soak up CO2

Recent changes in the climate have weakened the Earth's ability to absorb carbon dioxide through the oceans and are speeding up global warming, scientists have found.
A four-year study of the Southern Ocean around Antarctica found that an increase in winds caused by greenhouse gases and ozone depletion is preventing the sea from absorbing more carbon, according to a study published this week. In fact, rather than storing more carbon, as emissions from industry, homes and transport have increased over the past 26 years, the sea has in fact absorbed the same amount as before and even given off some stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The study, which focused on measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide made at over 40 sites around the world since 1981, suggests that it will be even harder to stabilise carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and prevent the world's temperature rising more than an average of 2°C as the Government and the EU intend. The Earth's carbon "sinks" - forests and oceans - absorb about half of all human carbon emissions. About half of all carbon emissions since the Industrial Revolution have been absorbed in this way. Emissions have increased by 40 per cent since the beginning of the period studied in 1981.