Unnatural Gas

This story ought to scare the crap out of any rational person.

A section of the Arctic Ocean seafloor that holds vast stores of frozen methane is showing signs of instability and widespread venting of the powerful greenhouse gas, according to the findings of an international research team led by University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists Natalia Shakhova and Igor Semiletov.

Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas. Big releases are thought to be behind the dramatic warming of the PETM, a mass extinction event.

On the positive side, recovery from that only took about 200,000 years.

Via Brad DeLong and Matt Yglesias.

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