Writer’s what should be done to reduce ocean pollution resulting from acidification

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Ocean pollution resulting from acidification
Ocean pollution resulting from acidification is one of the many forms of pollutions that have adverse impacts on the environment. Ocean pollution has an adverse influence on the environment, and it ends up even affecting the economic status of the country. The Indian Ocean contributes significantly to the economic well-being of the country. The Indian Ocean has a lot of benefits to the country (Barnard and Hain 14). The increased pollution of the ocean has resulted in a decline in these benefits, therefore, creating the urge for the nation to come up with policies that will lead to a reduction in ocean pollution. Through the implementation of this policy, the country will join the international community in the efforts to reduce acidification of the oceans.
The government will incorporate reducing ocean pollution as part of its development agenda. Therefore, this will be done by committing to eliminate all contributors of ocean acidification in the country gradually. The primary cause of ocean acidification is carbon pollution which is released when fossil fuel is burnt. Hence the policy will have to target ways of cutting down carbon pollution drastically. Since the burning of fossil fuel is the leading contributor of carbon emission the government should target reducing carbon emission by investing more in renewable energy sources. The government should invest more in renewable energies such as solar, wind and geothermal power.

Private investors should be encouraged to play roles in this mission of reducing carbon emissions the government can give incentives to companies that use renewable energy sources while carrying out their businesses.
Though Kenya has extensive forest cover, the increased deforestation, especially around major water catchment areas, has increased over the years. Deforestation arises due to the settlement of various groups of communities in forests such as the Mau forest. Since the people settled in these areas have cleared big pieces of land for farming the amount of water following into the Indian Ocean has reduced significantly (“Ocean Acidification in a Geoengineering Context” n.p.). As a result acidification in the Indian Ocean has increased. Hence deforestation has also been a major contributor of acidification in Kenya. The policy will also discourage deforestation especially of the main water catchment areas in the country example the Mau forest. The government should introduce and implement strict rules and regulation that discourage settlement in and deforestation of water catchment areas. I addition to creating tree planting days and occasions, the government will be able to increase the forest cover in the country which will also result in the reduction in acidification of the ocean.
Shockingly, agriculture is a dominant sector in Kenya’s monetary contribution but also happens to be a primary ocean acidification agent due to its emission of Green House Gases (GHGs) in large amounts. Though making changes in the agricultural sector may have a negative impact on the economy of the country since most of the citizens’ relay on it is important that these changes are made. The GHGs originate from the fertilizers used to improve soil fertility and hence the productivity of the plants. Another source is livestock farming since they discharge methane gas into the surrounding. The introduction of better agricultural land management methods to the farmers so that they can reduce the use fertilizers while not affecting the yields is necessary. At the same time, livestock management should be introduced. Livestock management can include keeping few domestic animals and adopting better feeding options that will result in a decrease in the percentage of methane gas emitted by the livestock.
Switching to renewable sources energy will lead to a drastic reduction in carbon pollution will require a lot of investment. The switch will need a lot of financial and technological investment hence it will require a lot of support from the developed nation through foreign aids. Though investing in renewable energy will have a significant cost for the government of Kenya, but in the long run, the country will leap both the environmental and economic impact of switching to renewable sources of energy. The switch to renewable sources of energy can also be used to reduce deforestation in Kenya. Most families in Kenya especially those in rural areas rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking. The government can implement projects that will help these families to switch to better sources of fuel such as biogas. By helping families create biogas the government will not only reduce deforestation but also reduce carbon pollution.
The most affected people in Kenya by ocean acidification have been the communities living along the Kenyan coastline. The environmental impact of pollution has led to a reduction in the marine species in the coastal region. Since most of the families in these communities rely on fishing as an economic activity a decrease in fish in the coastal waters has resulted in the total earnings in these families (“Ocean Acidification” n.p.). Hence most of the families in the coastal regions of Kenya live in poverty. This means that they struggle to meet even their basic needs. Hence ocean pollution has had a negative social-economic impact on these communities. The environmental impact will also have a social-economic impact on the communities that live along the Kenyan coastline.
The first economic benefit will directly come from the reduction in the cost of acquiring fuel that is consumed by the country. Since the country mostly relies on fossil fuel for energy switching to renewable sources will result in a reduction in the cost incurred while importing fossil fuels. The next benefit is the environmental benefit. Kenya’s marine environment has been adversely affected by an increase in ocean acidification. The Kenyan marine parks are a leading tourist attraction in the coastal regions of the country. They contribute to the total earnings of the country as well as for the counties in the coastal areas. The reduction in acidification will result in better marine environment hence more tourist will visit the marine parks in the coastal areas. Thereby, this will lead to a direct positive impact on the economy of the country and its citizens.
Incorporating reduction of ocean pollution in the development plan by the Kenyan government is the best way for the country to lead in reducing ocean acidification. The country will build its development plan along better environmental decisions. This means that even though ascertain activity may be perceived to be economically beneficial but results into increased ocean pollution it will be considered to be not a viable investment. The country will get a lot of both social and economic benefits from making such a commitment. Such a commitment will also help in convincing other countries to join and also make a commitment to reducing ocean pollution.

Works Cited
Barnard, Nicola, and Stefan Hain. Scientific Synthesis of the Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Biodiversity. 2014.
“Ocean Acidification in a Geoengineering Context.” PubMed Central (PMC), www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3405667/.
“Ocean Acidification.” The Ocean Foundation, www.oceanfdn.org/resources/ocean-acidification.