There is plenty of calcium present in salt water! Removing shells does not have the effect the dive master worried about. John Timmerman Wilmington, North Carolina -------------- Original message from Marcus Coltro <[log in to unmask]>: -------------- > That sounds like the dive master in Egypt who explained me why I should not > remove shells from the > sea: > > If I did so, it would change the PH on the water! > > Marcus > > > > I couldn't resist this one. Shell collecting as a way of sequestering > carbon and thus reducing global warming! Scientific illiteracy is a > major problem nowadays. > A standard container weighs between 10 and 20 tons. To crane it onto a > ship and move it from the Philippines to the USA consumes a considerable > amount of marine diesel. To then truck it to the distribution center > requires many further gallons of regular diesel. To then deliver the > packet of shells to your home takes some regular gasoline. Let's not > mention manufacturing and transporting the packing materials (the bubble > wrap, the box etc.) or the resources used by the original fishermen. > That shell you buy for your collection is dragging behind it a ton of > carbon dioxide that would have remained tied up in hydrocarbons lurking > deep underground if you hadn't placed your order in the first place. > Cheez. What do they teach people nowadays? > > Paul Callomon > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs > To leave this list, click on the following web link: > http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1 > Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and > click leave the list. > ----------------------------------------------------------------------