It's time for a little global warming panic.
Now that Cap and Trade is deader than Joe Biden's hair plugs, it's important to remember that Gaia is the real Death Panel. Here's the nitty:
Scientists say they have evidence that the powerful greenhouse gas methane is escaping from the Arctic sea bed.
Big deal. I have evidence that methane is escaping from my bed. Every night.
It doesn't prove anything.
Methane either comes from rotting vegetation or shallow off shore mud volcanoes.Or there is a gigantic peasant under the ice cap.
This is going to go an the negative side of of your life points.
Posted by: PeterUK | August 18, 2009 at 06:41 PM
Methane hydrates are generally the oceanic sources for methane, Peter. A "peasant under ice" sounds like a cheap drink at a bad drive in some remote corner of South America.
The Ohio source is, shall we say, an entirely different emissions category.
Posted by: JeffS | August 18, 2009 at 07:00 PM
The Ohio source is, shall we say, an entirely different emissions category.
But no less deadly...
Posted by: Dennis the Peasant | August 18, 2009 at 07:50 PM
That's why Ohio's been having such a cool summer, Dennis.
Posted by: richard mcenroe | August 18, 2009 at 07:50 PM
Somehow, I don't associate Dennis with Methane Hydrates. But this would certainly be something you could run your Volt on.
Posted by: PeterUK | August 18, 2009 at 08:14 PM
PeterUK -- you don't have to do his laundry.
Posted by: richard mcenroe | August 18, 2009 at 08:19 PM
I thought Mark did that.
Posted by: PeterUK | August 18, 2009 at 08:46 PM
Wash, not steal and snort.
Posted by: richard mcenroe | August 18, 2009 at 08:53 PM
"'peasant under ice' sounds like a cheap drink at a bad drive in some remote corner of South America."
I call them mojitos in LA.
Posted by: David | August 18, 2009 at 09:09 PM
Breaking: Is David Axelrod Dirty in Obamacare Conflict of Interest?
Posted by: richard mcenroe | August 18, 2009 at 11:05 PM
Prometheus Rebound
These days there are some pretty savvy global warming researchers. Sometimes I am awestruck. The latest just in is a dandy, indeed. It seems that Zeus is the original environmentalist. Who knew? What do you mean with such blunderbus you ask? I can't make this stuff up, I retort.
"Agricultural methods of early civilizations may have altered global climate, study suggests
Massive burning of forests for agriculture thousands of years ago may have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide enough to alter global climate and usher in a warming trend that continues today, according to a new study that appears online Aug. 17 in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews."
Why does this involve purely mythological figments like Prometheus and Zeus? Stay with me here. Prometheus was worshiped as one of the older Titanic gods that rivaled Zeus. His sin was giving mankind fire. You see his brother Epimetheus must have been a fraud or have doublecrossed Prometheus. (He was the one who had the gift of foresight.) He should have known that fire would eventually doom mankind through global warming.
Now this puts Christianity in a whole new light. It turns out that all this talk about the meek inheriting the earth is hokum. They are for the big multinational polluters in reality. Bring back Zeus, bring back Gaia. Io Pan, io pan! Yo' mama. Big mama.
Posted by: Thingumbob | August 19, 2009 at 08:22 AM
Dennis you should check out Melissa McEwan's blog Shakesville, for her take on this, and for real fun, read the comments. I don't think I've never seen so many hysterical people.
Posted by: Eric Blair | August 19, 2009 at 08:42 AM
"you should check out Melissa McEwan's blog Shakesville"
It's a brave man that is willing to wade through that morass of insane bullshit.
Posted by: David | August 19, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Eric-
That last time I dared to mention Melissa McEwan at this blog, I was beseiged for two days by 2,000 heavily armed Big Fat Lesbians.
Never again.
I've had my town hall meeting.
Posted by: Dennis the Peasant | August 19, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Oh go on Dennis,it's for the lads.
Posted by: PeterUK | August 19, 2009 at 01:19 PM
Actually, the comments on McE's post are really, really funny.
"Shit, we're all gonna die... Now where were we?"
Posted by: Dennis the Peasant | August 19, 2009 at 01:36 PM
From the piece,
"The team found that most of the methane is being dissolved into the seawater and did not detect evidence of the gas breaking the surface of the ocean and getting into the atmosphere.
The researchers stress that this does not mean that the gas does not enter the atmosphere. They point out that the methane seeps are unpredictable and erratic in quantity, size and duration.
It is possible that larger seeps at different times and locations might in fact be vigorous enough to break through the ocean surface."
Oh brother, now I'm really scared. What do you think the chances are that if they find that this has no effect on Global Warming, I mean climate change, they retract this story? I'd bet slim to none.
Posted by: jcw | August 19, 2009 at 03:56 PM
Ther you are Dennis,sleep in the bath.
Posted by: PeterUK | August 19, 2009 at 09:27 PM
We have enough problems with ruminant animals the world over and rice paddies in southern China creating methane without this shit. Not to mention the methane coming from melting permafrost in Canada and Russia.
It's gonna be ugly for deniers and believers of global warming alike. Except you guys evidently plan on doing nothing to change your behavior or prepare in any way.
Well the theory of evolution postulates the survival of the fittest. But who knows, I suppose geographical luck will play a part too. But I'm pretty sure money won't.
Posted by: markg8 | August 20, 2009 at 12:38 PM