Sylvia Earle Doesn ’t Just Want to Save the Oceans. She Wants to Make Them Accessible to All

Saturday Nov.6 at the COP 26 summit in Glasgow is devoted to nature, specifically its “importance as part of global action on climate change.” This incorporates sustainable use of both the land and the oceans that cover 71% of the planet’s surface. Ahead of the conference, TIME spoke to one of the oceans’ foremost champions, marine biologist Sylvia Earle, about her new book, how to protect the deep sea and her dream of personal submersibles for all. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You have written several books about the ocean. Why this one, National Geographic Ocean: A Global Odyssey, and why now? [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] This book is my attempt to sum up what we now know about the ocean and make it accessible in digestible bites. If you’ve got 10 minutes you can sit down and learn something, with beautiful images. Why is the ocean so important? The ocean is where the action is: 97% of the earth’s water is in the ocean. It’s where 95% of the biosphere is. If I were an evil alien wishing to alter the nature of life on earth, I would change the temperature of the ocean, I would change the chemistry. That is exactly what we are doing: excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere becomes excess carbon dioxide in the ocean that becomes carbonic acid. The ocean is becoming more acidic. That changes everything. You describe the ocean as the biggest carbon capture system on Earth. How so? The phytoplan...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized climate change Londontime Magazine Source Type: news