In Verde Island Passage, climate change poses specific threats: It is projected that climate change will cause rising sea levels, higher ocean temperatures, and more acidic waters. As the ocean largely regulates the climate, changes in ocean temperatures and currents are already altering the frequency, intensity, and distribution of storms, floods, heat waves, and the amount and distribution of rainfall. The unique biodiversity of the Verde Island Passage is at risk. In addition, the loss of biodiversity directly impacts its local communities, as their livelihoods are dependent primarily on tourism, fisheries, and agriculture, all of which are dependent on these threatened natural resources.50 Petitioners are also submitting the recorded interviews of some residents of Verde Island Passage as Exhibit “B” that describe their personal perspective of the effects of climate change in everyday life and livelihood and how these effects interfere with the enjoyment of their human rights. 3. Ocean Acidification Although this petition primarily discusses climate change, increased CO2 emissions are also causing the acidification of the Earth’s oceans, with potentially serious impacts. Ocean acidification is climate change’s “evil twin.”51 The emissions from fossil fuels produced and marketed by the Carbon Majors projects are therefore linked to both climate change and ocean acidification. The Petitioners request that the Commission consider ocean acidification, in addition to climate change, in investigating the Carbon Majors’ duty to respect human rights. While climate change is the consequence of a suite of greenhouse gases causing the earth to absorb more of the sun’s energy, ocean acidification is caused primarily by increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolving into the ocean. It is estimated that approximately 25-30% of the CO2 emitted by human activities has been absorbed by the oceans,52 buffering to some degree the increase in atmospheric concentrations, but at the same time bringing about fundamental changes to ocean carbon chemistry.53 Given the most recent estimates for annual                                                                                                                         50 R. Boquiren, G. Di Carlo, and M.C. Quibilan (Eds). 2010. Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment of the Verde Island Passage, Philippines. Technical report. Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia, USA, preface. Available at http://www.conservation.org/global/philippines/publications/Documents/ian_report_315_full_report_VA.pdf.. 51 A. Rogers, Global Warming’s Evil Twin: Ocean Acidification (Oct. 9, 2013), http://theconversation.com/globalwarmings-evil-twin-ocean-acidification-19017 (last accessed June 16, 2015). 52 C. Le Quéré & M.R. Raupach & J.G. Canadell & G. Marland L. Bopp & P. Ciais & T.J. Conway & S.C. Doney & R.A. Feely & P. Foster & P. Friedlingstein & K. Gurney & R.A. Houghton & J.I. House & C. Huntingford & P.E. Levy & M.R. Lomas & J. Majkut & N. Metzl & J.P. Ometto, J.P G.P. Peters & I.C. Prentice & J.T. Randerson & S.W. Running & J.L. Sarmiento & U. Schuster & S.Sitch & T. Takahashi & N. Viovy & G.R. van der Werf & F.I. Woodward, Trends in the Sources and Sinks of Carbon Dioxide, 2 NATURE GEOSCIENCE, 831 (2009). 53 C. Turley, C. (2013) Chapter 2: Ocean Acidification (2013). In: K.J. Noone, U.R. Sumaila, R.J. Diaz [Eds], Managing Ocean Environments in a Changing Climate: Sustainability and Economic Perspectives, (2013) at 15.             16