Wee... Positive feedback loops!

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Methane that used to be held in check by permafrost is bubbling into the atmosphere. From a region the size of Alaska there's a little bit over half a percent of our current atmospheric methane production, which may not seem like much. But this is only from a fraction of the entire permafrost region, I'm not sure if methane emissions are consistent, or are based on region, but there's probably a lot more being emitted as ice thaws around the world.

Now 3-6% of current methane emissions may not seem like much, but if methane accounts for ~20-35% of the man made greenhouse effect, and it's increasing at a rate of 3-6%, compound rate. Well... anyone who's had a savings account knows that a little bit can add up to a lot over the course of a decade with compound interest. Give it up for large-scale industrialization and facism!

[Silveredwings]

That story makes me almost want to stop eating beans.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

But beans are GHG nuetral!

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by omgwtfbyobbq

But beans are GHG nuetral!

Doh!

[Ted Hart]

Hi, all!
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas...second only to CO2. This is sooo encouraging!

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by omgwtfbyobbq

But beans are GHG nuetral!

I must just be slow. I finally understand the link between GS and going vegan.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Gs?

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by omgwtfbyobbq

Gs?

GS =

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Doh!

[GasSavers_brick]

The scary thing about methane is that it is actually much more powerful than carbon dioxide. One ton of methane does the work of 20 tons of CO2. It doesn't stay in the atmosphere forever, but a sudden thaw of that Siberian permafrost could cause some pretty violent changes over the course of a few decades. It's pretty scary to think about it because there is essentially nothing we can do about it now. All we can do is curtail emissions as best we can and hope that the climatic change is survivable.

This is what happens when we screw with something we don't understand.