METHANE ARE WE DOOMED ASHER NOVKOVBLOOM WHAT IS
METHANE: ARE WE DOOMED? ASHER NOVKOV-BLOOM
WHAT IS METHANE? • https: //efgases. com/gases/puregases/methane/
METHANE AS A GREENHOUSE GAS • https: //www. epa. gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse -gases
METHANE IN ATMOSPHERE • https: //www. researchgate. net/publication/8330850_Genomic_Insights_int o_Methanotrophy_The_Complete_Genome_Sequence_of_Methylococcu s_capsulatus_Bath
A DELICATE BALANCE… •
WHAT ARE THE SOURCES?
• TERMITES • BREAKDOWN CELLULOSE • ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION OF ORGANIC MATTER • REQUIRES ANOXIC ENVIRONMENT • MOST COMMONLY FOUND IN WETLANDS DUE TO HYPOXIC OR ANOXIC POREWATER https: //www. pctonline. com/article/termite-newsnotes/ https: //www. microbiologyresearch. org/content/anaerobe
• LIVESTOCK (COWS) • FOSSIL FUEL PRODUCTION • LANDFILLS + WASTE TREATMENT • RICE FARMING https: //dissolve. com/stock-photo/Flooded. Rice-Paddy-royalty-free-image/101 -D 145222 -496 https: //www. theguardian. com/environment/2018/may/ 29/revealed-industrial-scale-beef-farming-comes-tothe-uk https: //www. forbes. com/sites/ucenergy/2018/02/20/f racking-has-its-costs-and-benefits-the-trick-isbalancing-them/#301027 c 819 b 4
OTHER SOURCES? • FROZEN METHANE • PERMAFROST • CLATHRATES • CONSTANT SLOW RELEASE AS METHANE BUBBLES OUT INTO ATMOSPHERE • RELATIVELY LOW EMISSIONS BUT EXTREMELY LARGE RESERVOIR FOR METHANE https: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Cla thrate_hydrate https: //climate. nasa. gov/news/2785/unexpect ed-future-boost-of-methane-possible-fromarctic-permafrost/
SHOULD WE BE WORRIED? OF COURSE!
METHANE ON THE RISE • https: //www. esrl. noaa. gov/gmd/ccgg/trend s_ch 4/
SILVER LINING? • LOW RESIDENCE TIME MAKES REDUCTION ALL THE MORE POWERFUL • TECHNOLOGIES ARE BEING DEVELOPED TO REDUCE METHANE EMISSIONS • BREEDING BETTER COWS • REDUCING USE OF FOSSIL FUELS https: //www. euractiv. com/section/climateenvironment/opinion/methane-europes-chronic-climate-blindspot/
THE END… THE END! …OF THE WORLD?
ALBEDO FEEDBACK LOOP • OCEAN ICE HAS A VERY HIGH ALBEDO, WITH ONLY SNOW REFLECTING MORE LIGHT • OCEAN WATER HAS NEARLY THE LOWEST ALBEDO POSSIBLE ON EARTH (FRESH ASPHALT IS ONLY SLIGHTLY MORE ABSORBENT) • IF ICE SHEETS BEGIN TO MELT, HIGHLY REFLECTIVE SURFACES TURNS INTO HIGHLY ABSORBENT SURFACES, LEADING TO HIGHER TEMPERATURES, WHICH LEAD TO MORE MELTING ETC… https: //bio 1110. nicerweb. com/Locked/media/ch 26/albed o. html
FROZEN METHANE • https: //countercurrents. org/2017/03/the-methane-hydrate-feedback -loop-threat
• http: //www. eartharchives. org/articles/the-great-permian-extinction-when-all-life-on -earth-almost-vanished/
END-PERMIAN EXTINCTION CAUSES* • FLOOD VOLCANISM • MASSIVE RELEASE OF MAGMA FROM EARTHS MANTLE • OFTEN COINCIDE WITH EXTINCTION EVENTS OR CLIMATE CHANGE • JUST HOW BIG? https: //www. thesun. co. uk/tech/7114944/the-great-dying-volcaniceruption-earth-extinction-event/
BIG VOLCANOES? •
BIG IS RELATIVE •
BIG IS EVEN MORE RELATIVE •
SIBERIAN TRAPS •
WHY CARE ABOUT AN OLD ERUPTION?
WE ARE THE VOLCANO! •
EVIDENCE OF ANOTHER METHANECAUSED CLIMATE DISASTER? • 55 MYA-PETM (PALEOCENE-EOCENE THERMAL MAXIMUM) • PERIOD WITH VIRTUALLY ZERO SEA ICE • LASTED 150, 000 YEARS, ENDED WHEN EXCESS CARBON WAS REABSORBED BY PLANTS • EVIDENCE THAT THIS EVENT WAS ALSO PRECIPITATED BY A METHANE POSITIVE FEEDBACK http: //seaharmony. org/blog/174
QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION?
https: //www. alternet. org/2019/10/boilingwith-methanescientists-reveal-truly -terrifying-sign-ofclimate-changeunder-the-arcticocean/
SOURCES https: //link. springer. com/article/10. 1007/BF 02208779 https: //www. greenpeace. org/usa/global-warming/issues/natural-gas/ https: //www. esrl. noaa. gov/gmd/education/info_activities/pdfs/CTA_the_methane_cycle. pdf https: //www. esrl. noaa. gov/gmd/ccgg/trends_ch 4/ https: //www. nationalgeographic. com/environment/global-warming/methane/ https: //www. nationalgeographic. com/magazine/2011/10/hothouse-earth/ https: //web. archive. org/web/20121222144303/http: //www. cosis. net/abstracts/EGU 2008/0152 6/EGU 2008 -A-01526. pdf https: //www. theguardian. com/environment/climate-consensus-97 -percent/2015/oct/13/methane-release-from-melting-permafrost-could-trigger-dangerous-globalwarming http: //whrc. org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/PB_Permafrost. pdf https: //www. nature. com/articles/nature 14338 https: //www. britannica. com/science/Permian-extinction https: //www. epa. gov/ghgemissions/understanding-global-warming-potentials https: //www. epa. gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases https: //www. alternet. org/2019/10/boiling-with-methane-scientists-reveal-truly-terrifying-sign-of -climate-change-under-the-arctic-ocean/
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