Professor Peter Stott:

It is a good point that we should not forget the natural world. I have not yet mentioned ocean acidification, which is another impact of climate change. The ocean is becoming less alkaline as a result of carbon dioxide being taken up and there is a substantial threat to marine organisms to make their shells because of the ocean's changed chemistry. We are already starting to see the impact of climate change in the oceans through coral reef bleaching as temperatures rise, to which the effects of ocean acidification is added. Discussion has begun on using geoengineering to geoengineer our way out of the climate issue through, for instance, putting dust into the atmosphere which might cool the planet. That would not address ocean acidification because, if we continue to pump out carbon dioxide, the ocean will continue to draw it down and it will continue to have this impact on the ocean ecosystems. That is an important point to remember.