Congress Ignores Phytoplankton Crisis
Last week, in the scientific journal Nature, researchers from Nova Scotia published the results of a lengthy study on trends in ocean phytoplankton, the microscopic plants that form the basis of our planet’s marine food web. They found that phytoplankton levels have dropped to about half of their historic levels over the last half century, and that most of that drop took place in recent years. The research also discussed likely links to global climate change.
Earth’s oceans are already in serious trouble, due to overfishing, pollution and global warming. If phytoplankton levels continue to drop, we may see a nearly total collapse of marine ecosystems before too long. Given that oceans cover most of our planet’s surface, the drop in phytoplankton is an extremely serious problem.
You wouldn’t know that by the way that the U.S. Congress reacted to the research – by doing
nothing. The only reaction in Congress to the news of a phytoplankton crisis was the submission of an article from the Wall Street Journal into the Congressional Record. That article briefly stated, in the very last sentence, “A new study has found that rising sea temperature may have had a harmful effect on global concentrations of phytoplankton over the past century.”
That’s it. Not one member of the House or Senate has uttered one word about the phytoplankton crisis. Not one piece of legislation has been proposed to deal with the problem.
However, 27 members of the House of Representatives did find time to join in support of a resolution “recognizing the 50th anniversary of the passage of legislation that created real estate investment trusts”. Four Senators took the effort to craft a resolution “calling upon the President to issue a proclamation recognizing the 35th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act”.
Priorities like these are endangering the survival of life on Earth.
