Methane seen as growing climate risk

AP on SFGate.com ^ | 3/4/10 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON, (AP) --

Methane, a potent global warming gas, is bubbling out of the frozen Arctic faster than had been expected.

Methane had become trapped in the permafrost over time and a warming climate is now resulting in its release, researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science.

"The amount of methane currently coming out of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is comparable to the amount coming out of the entire world's oceans," said Natalia Shakhova, of the University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center and the co-author.

Concerns about global warming have centered on rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but scientists note that methane can be 30 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.

[NormsRevenge]

AgitProp never sleeps.. they just nod off now and then.. but not for long.. I suspect this is a Seth B. piece.. :-)

[US Navy Vet]

And Chili!

[henkster]

Don’t forget radon gas, toxic mold, monster in the closet, monster under the bed and drunken stepdad!

[a fool in paradise]

This report stinks!

[oldmomster]

wonder if the new healthcare plan covers Beano?

[Da Coyote]

Nice try, progressives.

Ain’t warming.

Go back to your play dough......

[Disambiguator]

I’m sure some Hahavhd egghead will suggest a beer tax of $7 per gallon to reduce methane emissions.

[Thunder90]

They going to tax farts now? No, I am actually serious about this.

[Dewey Revoltnow]

Oh man, what about all those cows walking the streets of India?

[Reeses]

Most methane really comes from an unusual type of bacteria, some of which live as parasites in our guts. An antibacterial that targets this type would cure methane gas.

[Westbrook]

> Don’t forget radon gas, toxic mold, monster in the
> closet, monster under the bed and drunken stepdad!

Yes, of course.

How could I forget?

We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die! We’re all gonna die!..............

[OneWingedShark]

LOL - The responses to this article are quite humorous.

[NormsRevenge]

Our gut sure contains lots of interesting stuff... somke evidenced when it’s rumbling and gurgling away..

[NormsRevenge]

-k

[Major Matt Mason]

Yada, yada, yada.

[boomop1]

I fart in your general direction. sarcasm

[DoughtyOne]

“Okay, so carbon isn’t all that, but methane, methane is all that. Seriously, you know you can trust us...”

Pitiful...

[RGSpincich]

Most methane really comes from an unusual type of bacteria, some of which live as parasites in our guts.

That's right. And it produces methane at your local wastewater plant if they use digesters. The methane is often used to power generators/boilers which produce electricity/steam to help power the plant.

[nuke rocketeer]

I better quit eating beans........

[Kozak]

Not exactly. The Siberian traps were a massive eruption lasting over a million years that did cause major global climate change.

Siberian Traps