Posted on 05/18/2010 4:35:48 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
A recent scientific theory called the "hydrate hypothesis" says that historical global warming cycles have been caused by a feedback loop, where melting permafrost methane clathrates (also known as "hydrates") spur local global warming, leading to further melting of clathrates and bacterial growth.
In other words, like western Siberia, the 400 billion tons of methane in permafrost hydrate will gradually melt, and the released methane will speed the melting. The effect of even a couple of billion tons of methane being emitted into the atmosphere each year would be catastrophic.
The "hydrate hypothesis" (if validated) spells the rapid onset of runaway catastrophic global warming. In fact, you should remember this moment when you learned about this feedback loop-it is an existencial turning point in your life.
By the way, the "hydrate hypothesis" is a weeks old scientific theory, and is only now being discussed by global warming scientists. I suggest you Google the term.
Now that most scientists agree human activity is causing the Earth to warm, the central debate has shifted to when we will pass the tipping point and be helpless to stop the runaway Global Warming.
There are enormous quantities of methane trapped in permafrost and under the oceans in ice-like structures called clathrates. The methane in Arctic permafrost clathrates is estimated at 400 billion tons.
Methane is more than 20 times as strong a greenhouse gas as CO2, and the atmosphere currently contains about 3.5 billion tons of the gas.
(Excerpt) Read more at agoracosmopolitan.com ...
Hooray. That would remove a whole lot of carbon footprint. Cut down on crowding and congestion too.
The sky is falling......again.....
But but but all the rich liberals are teaming up to provide abortions and sterilizations in the 3rd world to fight overpopulation!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2516258/posts
On Dec. 12th of that year, we'll all know. The mayans said so... ;]
Oh great, we will all perish in the Mother of All Farts. B-P Paging Mr. Methane B-)
Possible, but I doubt from Global Warming
End of the world? Good. Muslims and democrats will be gone.
4.5 billion people will slit their own throat if Al Gore gives one more speech about Goreble Warning.
12/21/12
Why care?
Just IMAGINE, the carbon footprints this takes away from all their death?
LOL!!!!
It's a MONEY GRAB. There is no “global warming”.
There's a real probability of such a thing happening ~ which makes it science. Guessing about how fast the hydrates can melt in the face of an overdue Ice Age is not exactly science.
I thought it was december 21, 2012?
Aren’t the progressives trying to get world population down to 500,000,000 -— This should help.
Now when New York City is covered with 1000s of feet of ice, that will be a call for celebration.
2012...how convenient.
One or t’other, I forget in my hysteria over the End Of The World As We Know It...
The subject website is circa 2007 and is now being used as a vector for malware.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/05/18/most-idiotic-global-warming-headline-ever/
this thread needs to be pulled
Quick! Quick! Run to your local statist, big government, nameless, faceless agency and give them all your money! It’s our only hope!
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