http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v466/n7306/abs/nature09268.html I've posted this a few times, but it is very relevant. Also worth noting that the most substantial group of organisms which are responsible for regulating atmospheric carbon levels (i.e. the carbon cycle) are Phytoplankton, and they are dying at a very fast rate as a direct result of anthropogenic actions. Practically all species of Phytoplankton are photosynthetic, which means that they take carbon dioxide and sunlight to make energy. They are the producers for the entire ocean. These organisms are so ubiquitous, that they are responsible for [i]half[/i] of the biospheric net production on Earth (not just in the ocean). So it follows that in producing so much energy, that they are the main thing controlling atmospheric carbon levels, as they take in carbon in order to create energy. The study above shows that since 1950, their population has declined by 40% as a direct result of increased atmospheric carbon and warmer ocean temperatures. The on going rate given by this study is 1%/year moving forward. Another interesting facet of this research is that phytoplankton populations under the Arctic Ocean's ice sheet are actually growing, despite all other areas seeing a population decrease. This is problematic for two reasons: A) It tells us that the ice sheets are thinning. B) More Phytoplankton = more energy being produced = more heat being released = ocean water warmer = ice sheets melting faster. This isolated growth of phytoplankton will accelerate the rate at which the ice sheets are melting. This is bad news, and the fact that we can't come together as a planet to make serious adjustments is abysmal.