This story hit the Independent yesterday, and I really hope these preliminary findings are exaggerated, or not what they seem:
Exclusive: The methane time bomb
Arctic scientists discover new global warming threat as melting permafrost releases millions of tons of a gas 20 times more damaging than carbon dioxide
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Preliminary findings suggest that massive deposits of subsea methane are bubbling to the surface as the Arctic region becomes warmer and its ice retreats
The first evidence that millions of tons of a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere from beneath the Arctic seabed has been discovered by scientists.
This is obviously quite a scary possibility that this might be happening. The headline is misleading however, in saying that "scientists discover a new global warming threat" - this is a threat that has been around, the scary thing is that it actually seems to be happening. Check ou the article and say a prayer - once we cross some of these tipping points its hard to see much we can do but move fully into adaptation. Stay going...
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