Dryden Aqua: we want to make the
world a little better
The mission of Dryden Aqua is to make the
world a little better and we start by making
swimming pools safer and environmentally
sustainable.
We are committed to fighting against pollution
and to protect our environment from climate
change. We are convinced to have found the
main mechanism of global warming. In brief,
our hypothesis is as following:
The increase in the CO 2 content in the
atmosphere is not directly related to the
increased CO 2 from anthropogenic
emissions.
Scientific studies quantify that the burning of
fossil fuels only accounts for between 1 % and
a maximum of 5 % of all the CO 2 emissions into
the atmosphere. This is a much lower amount
than most appreciate. The UK Royal Society
acknowledges that aquatic algae growth should
have increased to compensate for the increased
emissions of CO 2 . Instead, quite the reverse has
happened; marine phytoplankton productivity
in the oceans has actually declined.
The increase of CO 2 in the atmosphere and
acidification of the oceans is not caused by
man-made CO 2 emissions but rather a decline
in the ability of the ecosystem to metabolise
the CO 2 in the atmosphere.
Marine phytoplankton converts carbon dioxide
into oxygen through photosynthesis. They are
responsible for 90 % of the planets CO 2 fixation
and oxygen production. However since the
beginning of the chemical revolution around
1950, fixation of carbon dioxide and marine
productivity has dropped by 40 % which is the
primary reason for the increase in atmospheric
carbon dioxide.
Bioactive toxins such as PCB’s and PDBE fire
retardants from municipal and industrial waste-
water are increasing in all of the world’s oceans
and are at concentrations that can supress pho-
tosynthetic activity, even in the southern oceans.
The decline in productivity reduces CO 2 fixation,
resulting in higher concentrations of carbonic
acid causing ocean acidification and an incre-
ase in atmospheric CO 2 . The impact of aquatic
pollution and ocean acidification is much more
dramatic than appreciated. We know from expe-
rience as Marine Biologists that at a pH of 7.9
the marine ecosystem will experience a cascade
failure.
We are already beginning to witness huge shifts
in the marine environment with much greater
numbers of jellyfish and squid and declining
fish populations. At a pH of 7.9, carbonate eggs
cannot form. Given that most marine animals
and many plants have carbonate shells, we are
looking at a complete collapse of the marine
ecosystem and the possibility that the terrestrial
ecosystem system will follow. Basically we have a
situation that could be much worse than climate
change and it’s happening now. Oceanic pH has
already dropped from 8.3 to 8.09.
If we act now to prevent bioactive discharges of
aquatic pollutants from municipal wastewater
and industrial effluent, we have a chance to re-
verse the trend. We need the industry to stop
using such toxic chemicals and we need to treat
all of our wastewater. Not just in our own country
but in every country; because we are all connec-
ted to the same ocean, atmosphere and planet.
We only have 25 years left to reverse the
trend.
Plankton in the North of Europe, taken by Envisat satellite. In
the past century the phytoplankton content of the oceans has
decreased in almost all regions of the world. (Foto: picture
alliance/dpa)
DRYDEN AQUA
3