In class, we conducted an experiment to test the effect of water's acidity on a shell

(calcium carbonate). My partner and I used water with a PH of 7.1. We did this by adding white
vinegar to the water, which had a starting PH of 8.2 and placing the shell in the water for less
than three days. The shell's size did not change and was not visibly affected by the water's
acidity. My colleagues who conducted the same experiment tested a different PH (3.89) for the
same amount of time. Their shell's starting measurements were a diameter of 6.5 cm, a width of
2.5 cm, and a weight of 9.09 grams. After the experiment, the shell had a diameter of 3.5 cm, a
width of .5 cm, and a weight of 0.37 grams. The shell lost more than 75% of its size and weight.
Their results were very different from my group's results, why? The only variable that changed
was the acidity of the water.
The acidity of the water can impact ocean life. Specifically, corals, oysters, clams,
mussels, and other animals with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons. Small shifts in acidy
significantly affect these marine calcifiers because their shells, skeletons, or hard parts form by
using carbonate ions. The ocean takes in about 30% of the carbon dioxide from our atmosphere,
which is essentially good because it removes emissions from the air. Still, when CO2 combines
with the ocean water (H2O), it creates carbonic acid, which takes the carbonate ions the marine
calcifiers need to grow strong and thick shells.
The increasing amount of carbon and air pollution the ocean is absorbing is changing the
very chemistry of the water. Since the industrial revolution, we have produced almost 50% more
carbon dioxide. This is based on recent measurements from the Mauna Loa observatory in
Hawaii showing in early 2021 that the atmospheric levels of CO2 were at 417 ppm compared to
pre-industrial times when levels were at 278ppm. Since then, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration have recorded a 0.1 drop in ph units from the surface ocean water.
Better said, the water has become 30% more acidic.
Tons of carbon dioxide has already been taken by the ocean, one of the biggest carbon
sinks on earth, that this process is slowing down, and the sea is taking in less and less of the
emissions. All this is causing the ocean to become more acidic, damaging marine ecosystems and
life. Some animals are growing slower and not as large. Some fish are losing their sense of smell,
affecting their ability to hunt for food. Coral and algae aren't able to create the framework for
reefs. Even plankton can not fully form their skeleton because they can't get enough calcium
carbonate.
Why does this affect not just marine life but also humans? Many seafood businesses that harvest
clams, oysters, and other mollusks are noticing that these animals are becoming weaker, having
less meat, and their shells can't protect them from predators and environmental dangers.
Phytoplankton is in charge of more than half of the earth's oxygen production, and they are
another big carbon sink that isn't able to thrive because of the increasing acidity of the water.
With excessive CO2 in our atmosphere, phytoplankton and the ocean can't absorb as much as
they should. Global warming will only worsen, making the ocean and global temperatures
warmer, allowing for more coral bleaching, fewer carbon ions, and an unlivable environment for
marine life and, indirectly, all life on earth.
What can we do locally to stop ourselves from producing and releasing so much CO2
into the atmosphere that the ocean and organisms in it are negatively affected? One source of
carbon emissions that is common to Hawaii is emissions by freight ship transportation and
imported goods. Hawaii imports 85% - 90% of its food from the mainland. Huge ships from
California, Washington, and Oregon carrying and burning around 2 million tons of fuel sail to the
Hawaiian islands daily. They ship vegetables, meat, manufactured items, technology, cars, etc.,
from the U.S. and other countries. Without the export of food from the mainland, it is estimated
that the islands would have food to last the whole population only 9 days.
Hawaii depends significantly on these ships, which are big carbon sources, for food and
other necessities. This type of transportation on a global scale makes up 8% of global greenhouse
gas emissions and 11% if warehouses and ports are included. If there were to be a big tropical
storm, weather event, or even a strike from workers on the mainland, it could stop the very food
we need to live from making it across the sea. Researchers have found that Hawaii would need to
be growing/producing at least 50% of what we consume to survive such an event. So, this
dependence on exported goods not only negatively affects the ocean because of the amount of
CO2 released into the air but also leaves Hawaii with no food self-sufficiency and its citizens
vulnerable to food scarcity.
A solution is to bring Hawaii to a point where food self-sufficiency benefits the island,
and there can be food security while decreasing our dependence on imported goods. To do this,
we need our state government to create policies to support farmers and local markets so there can
be an increase in production. Also advertise local products and different diets to the people.
Essentially creating a healthy, locally based relationship with producers and consumers.
 In Hawaii, imported food is cheaper than local food because of the high cost of
production. We can change consumption by promoting local farms and their produce, increasing
production scale, and causing less pressure on prices for these companies. We can also promote
different and more locally based diets and encourage people to eat fruits that are only in season.
Also, supporting meals that aren't made from imported foods in restaurants, school lunches,
hotels, and even at home.
Farmers don't increase their production because it is expensive to buy land on Maui and
the rest of the islands. There is also not enough demand from consumers for locally grown crops
and raised cattle that could support expansion. Here is where we could enforce laws that allow
farmers to buy more land at a lower price and policies that support their production, so they don't
have to worry about losing money. Not only will helping these farms provide more food grown
locally to the population and make us less dependable on the mainland but it is estimated that it
will provide over 2,300 jobs.
Changing our diets is another big step toward food security and self-sufficiency. More
than half the fish we eat is caught here, and cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumbers grown locally are
consumed here. The problem lies in the staple foods such as wheat and rice, carbohydrates that
make up the bulk of people's diets in the islands. Maui's geography can not sustain farming for
these products because of how much land it takes up (thousands of acres). Instead, the best thing
to do is to switch to staple foods grown locally, such as ulu, potatoes, taro, cassava, kabocha
squash, and even some types of beans that thrive in Hawaii's soil.
Hawaii can produce, if not all, the majority of the food it needs to feed its population
solely on food produced here. Take ancient Hawaii or even Hawaii in the early 1900s, for
example, it was 100% self-sufficient and did not depend on any outside resources. They had a
system, Ahupuaʻa, that worked perfectly for them where they could grow taro, hunt for fish,
grow other vegetables and fruits, and provide for the whole island. Even after Hawaii became a
state, it was still primarily self-sufficient, and imported goods were only recently transported. In
the early 1970s, over 2,200 chicken/egg farms and almost 100 dairy farms spread throughout the
islands. Not only were vegetables and fruits being produced here, but beef and other protein were
being produced and processed here. But over time, we continued to import more and more of our
food, and now there are less than 1,000 chicken farms and only one standing dairy farm on Oahu.
 A solution is to bring Hawaii to a point where food self-sufficiency benefits the island,
and there can be food security while decreasing our dependence on imported goods. By
supporting our local farms, promoting a different way of consuming foods, and returning to the
past practice of Hawaii production and distribution of food, we can clean up our carbon
footprint.

Resources
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