Increased methane release - OK, this does worry me!

[Neil]

A lot of deep sea areas have frozen deposits of methane. Methane is 20 times worse at causing a greenhouse effect than co2. The concern is, the oceans warms, and then a catatrophic snow ball effect begins where methane starts thawing on the sea bed, starts bubbling to the surface, and the loop continues ever faster. Imagine ocean regions on fire with methane on the surface spontaneously combusting, and world tempuratures increasing more and more...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8437703.stm

Not sure what people opinions are on global warming, but this worries me...

[krakenslayer]

Yeah, there's whole (formerly frozen) lakes in Siberia that are literally fizzing with methane now. Whatever is causing the increase in average temperature - and as far as I'm concerned, there is no doubt that human activity contributes to it (the only question is how much is us and how much is "natural") - there is a real danger that it is going to turn into a self-perpetuating process.

[Neil]

Yeah, there's whole (formerly frozen) lakes in Siberia that are literally fizzing with methane now. Whatever is causing the increase in average temperature - and as far as I'm concerned, there is no doubt that human activity contributes to it (the only question is how much is us and how much is "natural") - there is a real danger that it is going to turn into a self-perpetuating process.

I suspect it's a regular natural cycle, and this snow ball greenhouse release has happened loads of times before. It clearly just cant keep on building up, so has to release... And then we get a very damaging warming period, before things can drop back down to normal.

Be horrible if we've forced the matter and we're on the brink of a jump started catastrophe :(

[rongravy]

Yeah, maybe it's a way to keep this planet from overpopulating whatever's currently thriving every time it starts getting a little too big for its britches. And yeah, we're probably kicking it into overdrive.
Good thing there's probably another world war around the corner. Maybe a nice nuclear winter is just what the doctor ordered...
Or not.

[EvilNed]

If you think that humans have nothing to do with global warming, then you're an idiot.

And yeah, Methane sucks. Lots of it getting freed up in Siberia... Or about to be.

[Neil]

If you think that humans have nothing to do with global warming, then you're an idiot.
I must admit still partially being on the fence.

If we take water vapour into account, which I believe is the Earth's most significant greenhouse gas, humans only account for about a 1/4 of one percent of emissions!?

Then we have, as the Earth's primary source of heat, a huge nuclear fusion reactor, amounting to 99% of the mass of the solar system, which goes through cycles of more/less activity.

Am I saying we are not responsible? No... But I think it would be arrogant at the moment to say we are definitely right! That said, maybe the safest course is to assume worse case, and act as if we are responsible!

- - - Updated - - -


Yeah, maybe it's a way to keep this planet from overpopulating whatever's currently thriving every time it starts getting a little too big for its britches. And yeah, we're probably kicking it into overdrive.
Good thing there's probably another world war around the corner. Maybe a nice nuclear winter is just what the doctor ordered...
Or not.

Overpopulation is definitely something we need to pay attention to!

Another World War? Have I missed something?

[wayzim]

I must admit still partially being on the fence.

If we take water vapour into account, which I believe is the Earth's most significant greenhouse gas, humans only account for about a 1/4 of one percent of emissions!?

Then we have, as the Earth's primary source of heat, a huge nuclear fusion reactor, amounting to 99% of the mass of the solar system, which goes through cycles of more/less activity.

Am I saying we are not responsible? No... But I think it would be arrogant at the moment to say we are definitely right! That said, maybe the safest course is to assume worse case, and act as if we are responsible!

- - - Updated - - -



Overpopulation is definitely something we need to pay attention to!

Another World War? Have I missed something?

Neil, Didn't you get the memo?

It's a variation on the old rat experiment,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Calhoun

where in this case overpopulation combined with global warming eventually leads to anarchy - only in this case the rats have better weapons.

But to paraphrase Dickens. "Better to decrease the surplus population. "

Wayne Z

[Neil]

Neil, Didn't you get the memo?

It's a variation on the old rat experiment,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Calhoun

where in this case overpopulation combined with global warming eventually leads to anarchy - only in this case the rats have better weapons.

But to paraphrase Dickens. "Better to decrease the surplus population. "

Wayne Z

Fascinating! But I think it's dangerous to compare mice, running primarily on genetic built in behavioural patterns, to far more complex and versatile humans.

0Z760XNy4VM

[EvilNed]

I must admit still partially being on the fence.

If we take water vapour into account, which I believe is the Earth's most significant greenhouse gas, humans only account for about a 1/4 of one percent of emissions!?

Then we have, as the Earth's primary source of heat, a huge nuclear fusion reactor, amounting to 99% of the mass of the solar system, which goes through cycles of more/less activity.

Am I saying we are not responsible? No... But I think it would be arrogant at the moment to say we are definitely right! That said, maybe the safest course is to assume worse case, and act as if we are responsible!

- - - Updated - - -



Overpopulation is definitely something we need to pay attention to!

Another World War? Have I missed something?

"Only" 1/4 is more than enough. It's also a slowball effect in many cases, where the hotter it gets, the hotter it gets. We are the ones who are causing this.

[Neil]

"Only" 1/4 is more than enough."It's not 1/4... It's 1/4 of one percent... ie: Not 25% but 0.25%...

I think even if you ignore water vapour we only account for about 4-5%?


But that said, if there's a chance we might be causing warming, why not assume worse case and act accordingly...

[EvilNed]

Eeeh, that seems a little los to be honest. Can't do it now, but I'd check those numbers if I were you.

We are the cause of global warming, and I'm pretty sure the percentage is more than that. I just read a book about it that gave higher number, I'll go check it out this weekend.