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Warming climate

Huge amounts of methane are stored around the world in sea floors

I have spent many years in the Arctic and I am concerned about methane hydrates.

Huge amounts of methane are stored around the world in sea floors. It represents a large energy reserve for humanity. Climate warming, however, will cause the methane hydrates to destabilize. The methane hydrates, a greenhouse gas, would escape unused into the atmosphere and will accelerate climate change.

In cold regions like the Arctic, methane hydrates are released faster as temperatures rise. In the case of the Earth warming, it is expected that sea levels will rise due to the melting of polar caps and glacial ice.

Methane hydrates, when released, will be 20 times more effective per molecule than carbon dioxide. This will have a negative impact on all life.

Ray Dusseault

Vernon