Why Ocean Acidification (OA) Matters To California
by Kriss Perras Running Waters | The environmental organization National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) states OA is the "quiet tsunami of environmental degradation." Within a few decades OA may devastate some important marine ecosystems, says the organization. "Securing clean water in a heavily urbanized environment such as Los Angeles doesn’t happen overnight. It requires resources. And regional waterbodies are well-worth protecting," said Heal The Bay in a statement regarding the Los Angeles County Clean Water, Clean Beaches Measure. "Locals and tourists alike frequent Los Angeles County’s beaches, yet 7 out of 10 of California’s most polluted beaches are right in our own backyard. This means that a day at the beach could make you or your family sick. Pollution that runs off our streets can be toxic to fish and other species. As a result, some fish species in our Bay are unsafe to eat. Trash pollution is so extreme in some areas of the County that our rivers look more like trash dumps. The current paradigm needs to shift."