Live data from Hacker News

Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic

siberiantimes.com

21–30 of 384 posts

Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic

#21
post #15
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we can't figure out an engineering solution to this problem then it's game over. It always amazes me how much people and governments focus on prevention when it comes to climate change, knowing full well it's far too late to change anything by reducing carbon emissions. If we can't sequester these 'surplus' gases from the atmosphere then I guess you could say we don't have a chance in hell, pun intended, of surviv…

> It always amazes me how much people and governments focus on prevention when it comes to climate change If the US government was actually focused on prevention, that would be a huge step up from "denying there's a problem."

I suspect that the interests driving denial are planning to ride the crash. There are probably developments in favorable locations. Land. Security. Infrastructure. Resources.

Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic

#22
post #15
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we can't figure out an engineering solution to this problem then it's game over. It always amazes me how much people and governments focus on prevention when it comes to climate change, knowing full well it's far too late to change anything by reducing carbon emissions. If we can't sequester these 'surplus' gases from the atmosphere then I guess you could say we don't have a chance in hell, pun intended, of surviv…

> It always amazes me how much people and governments focus on prevention when it comes to climate change If the US government was actually focused on prevention, that would be a huge step up from "denying there's a problem."

Do you all honestly think that the US or what people there think is the biggest issue effecting pollution?

Last time I checked as a nation we are working hard to reduce emissions have some of the lowest in the world. Perhaps it would be more useful to go and bash China and India, two countries in which seeing a clear sky in a large city is a rarity.

Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic

#23
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It always amazes me how much people and governments focus on prevention when it comes to climate change If the US government was actually focused on prevention, that would be a huge step up from "denying there's a problem."

Do you all honestly think that the US or what people there think is the biggest issue effecting pollution? Last time I checked as a nation we are working hard to reduce emissions have some of the lowest in the world. Perhaps it would be more useful to go and bash China and India, two countries in which seeing a clear sky in a large city is a rarity.

"Some of the lowest in the world" is pretty creative wording for second highest in the world. [1]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_di...

Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic

#26

This is precisely why Dr. Guy McPherson has predicted human extinction on earth by 2030. Methane clathrates coming from the Arctic sea floor and from Canadian and Siberian permafrost. This is the most serious threat we face now.

So, this sort of thing must have happened in past warm periods. Yet life survived.

Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic

#28
post #20
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we can't figure out an engineering solution to this problem then it's game over. It always amazes me how much people and governments focus on prevention when it comes to climate change, knowing full well it's far too late to change anything by reducing carbon emissions. If we can't sequester these 'surplus' gases from the atmosphere then I guess you could say we don't have a chance in hell, pun intended, of surviv…

Yeah, exponentials are tricky. By the time danger is clear, it's too late to do anything about it. But hey, at least this will probably be self-limiting. Disruption will arguably reduce population and industrialization, and so CO2 emissions will drop.

Unfortunately, that could offset global dimming[1], which appears to be currently slowing the current rate of climate change.

Things seem like they are going to get really bad. I try not to think about it too much. It doesn't seem like there's anything I can do.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_dimming

Edit: Changed link to Wikipedia entry

Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic

#29
post #20
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we can't figure out an engineering solution to this problem then it's game over. It always amazes me how much people and governments focus on prevention when it comes to climate change, knowing full well it's far too late to change anything by reducing carbon emissions. If we can't sequester these 'surplus' gases from the atmosphere then I guess you could say we don't have a chance in hell, pun intended, of surviv…

Yeah, exponentials are tricky. By the time danger is clear, it's too late to do anything about it. But hey, at least this will probably be self-limiting. Disruption will arguably reduce population and industrialization, and so CO2 emissions will drop.

[deleted]

Re: Thousands of underground gas bubbles poised to 'explode' in Arctic

#30
post #26

This is precisely why Dr. Guy McPherson has predicted human extinction on earth by 2030. Methane clathrates coming from the Arctic sea floor and from Canadian and Siberian permafrost. This is the most serious threat we face now.

So, this sort of thing must have happened in past warm periods. Yet life survived.

Life certainly has a good chance given the existence of deep-sea bacteria, tardigrades, and cockroaches, but the human species has a relatively narrow set of conditions that must be met for any sort of longterm survival.
Post reply on HN