Scientists have recently been studying the mysterious deaths of clams in the Colorado River. Why? Well the shells of clams are natural carbon sink and living clams belch carbon dioxide as they breathe. When clams are healthy and alive, they can emit the carbon equivalent of about 15,000 car annually but since the clams are dying, there is less carbon dioxide being emitted. But isn't carbon dioxide bad for us?
Well in theory we should be happy since now there will be less carbon dioxide emitted but this is actually a bad sign. It is a bad sign because it means that we are massively altering our water systems, by building dams, which means that we are endangering the lives of the species that live in the water in the river delta. But with the death with the clams comes a true concern that even though they aren't giving off carbon dioxide anymore, the burden of carbon dioxide emissions is not being deterred. In fact, the carbon dioxide problem is getting worse because instead of a living creature giving it off, we have replaced the clams with power plants, coal stations, and cars. We are killing off the creatures of the sea for the sake of our own needs and convenience. We need to understand that water is not just life for us, but also for the species of wildlife that live in the waters that we consume. We need to make a true effort to protect the water that we have and not overuse it. If we continue in on our path, we will see species of animals disappear, which can greatly damage our global ecosystem.
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2016/10/colorado-rivers-dead-clams-tell-tales-carbon-emission
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