Biodiversity

Almost 30 per cent of CO₂ released to the atmosphere is taken up by the oceans. As a consequence, the oceans become more acidic – in a process called ocean acidification.

Ocean Acidification (OA) caused by CO₂ from the burning of fossil fuels puts our seas at danger.

The acidification problem is, indeed, a “black elephant” – an obvious, predictable event with enormous consequences, but highly overlooked by many stakeholders, which is also relevant for the Black Sea region.

Over 60 per cent of the United Kingdom land area currently receives ammonia concentrations above the critical level set to protect lichens and bryophytes (1μg m-3).

Slashing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions is a tricky balancing act: we will need to use all the tools available, while making sure we do not sacrifice other environmental interests along the way.

Three-quarters of EU ecosystems are currently exposed to more nitrogen deposition than they can cope with and nearly one-tenth is still receiving too much acid fallout.

Rising CO₂ in lakes and reservoirs may harm animals that live in those ecosystems, reports Scientific American. 

Nitrogen in the air is one of the greatest threats to our wild plants, lichens and fungi, yet few people have even heard about it.