One of the Wall Street Journal's better headlines of late brings us a story that will no doubt be held up as sciencey proof of the global warming thingy:
Arctic Site Oozes Methane
A large chunk of the Arctic seabed that sits on a methane reservoir has become unstable and is releasing some of the heat-trapping gas into the atmosphere, new research suggests.
It has long been believed that the frozen seafloor of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf formed an impermeable seal against the vast stores of methane trapped beneath it, but the latest findings suggest about 7.7 million tons of the gas are being released there each year.
The Journal goes on to say that it's unclear whether arctic farts are something old and natural or something new - and linked to... well, you know. But as all those not directly benefiting from capitalism's exploitation of the environment know, everything is proof of global warming.
Note: Right on cue, dimbulb pseudo-polymath Matt Yglesias reminds us that global warming is a fact - and a non-debatable one at that - when you're real smart and have an Ivy League edjamacation. What all you mouth-breathers don't understand that many semester hours of climate sciencey coursework are required to get a degree in Philosophy at Harvard.
The fact that somebody noticed this happening now doesn't mean it didn't occur in the past at some point--the logical fallacies that people like Yglesias get themselves into would be funny if it weren't so sad.
Posted by: Eric Blair | March 05, 2010 at 09:40 AM
That that a person could go to Harvard and passed is proof of superior intelligence. And judgment.
Posted by: Dennis the Peasant | March 05, 2010 at 12:54 PM
Wait a minute. Didn't this Global Warming thingee begin with the argument of an anthropogenic cause? How did artic farts get in to the equation? Or sheep farts in New Zeeland or bovine burps in cattle country?
Simple large part solution for the directly anthropogenic part, the human bio part ...just cut the number of breaths you inhale and exhale daily by half. To offset artic farts, cut it in half again. To halve it again, become totally vegan (never mind you're eating the things that inhale CO2 and exhale O2)..do all this and voila'!!
Oh, wait....
Posted by: Aridog | March 05, 2010 at 01:57 PM
Dammit you made me go to Matty's site. You made me I swear! I'm being repressed!
Once there I found this additional gem:
"climate science deniers are now teaming up with creationists to mount a broad political front against accurate understanding of the world."
Surely the (guilt-by) association of "deniers" and "creationists" will be sufficient to break open one of the seven seals. How relieved I am that the keen intellects of Yglesias and other people who are too fucking crazy to believe stand between us and all that we so richly deserve.
Posted by: David | March 05, 2010 at 02:24 PM
p.s. the comments at Matty's site are priceless.
Posted by: David | March 05, 2010 at 02:38 PM
That they are. Let's all go stir the shit a little bit.
Posted by: Randy Rager | March 05, 2010 at 05:12 PM
Calm yourselves, my good people - our betters are going to demonstrate the truth of their dire predictions with New York Times advertisements. Look on their typeface, ye Skeptics, and despair!
Posted by: aelfheld | March 05, 2010 at 05:37 PM
Those geeks are fun to troll! I think I upped his comment count by a factor of 10.
Posted by: Randy Rager | March 06, 2010 at 12:13 AM
It has long been believed that the frozen seafloor of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf formed an impermeable seal against the vast stores of methane trapped beneath it
Bullshit.
That's not "science"... it's merely propaganda.
Posted by: fletch | March 06, 2010 at 01:06 AM
so this is where all the dumbasses are. good to know.
Posted by: Matty | March 06, 2010 at 05:11 AM
Randy Rager... you're parents must either be appalled, dead, or as stupid and vindictive as you. Rational arguments generally do not begin by calling your intellectual superiors 'fucksticks'. I understand that all of you need to hang on to your illusions, because reality has clearly abandoned you. I would just like you to know that I am a Professor of Sociology and first chance I get, which is usually every day, I get to teach your kids about Karl Marx and convince them that George Bush was a traitor and a tyrant. Quite a bit of fun actually, you should all stop by.
you wouldn't know science if it bit you on your ass.
Posted by: Matty | March 06, 2010 at 05:46 AM
You know what I love about this? No, really, really, love about this?
The subsea permafrost was created during the last ice age. Its thawing is simply part of the process of coming out of that ice age. This has precisely and exactly sweet fuck all to do with anthropogenic climate change. Absolutely no one at all is suggesting that the Arctic Oceans, 50 metres down, are warming as a result of anything that humans are doing.
So while the effect of these methanes being suddenly released would not be fun, they're nothing at all to do with us.
Posted by: Tim Worstall | March 06, 2010 at 06:51 AM
Hey Matty! Your goats! I haz them!
" I would just like you to know that I am a Professor of Sociology "
Disqualifying statement. Nothing you say will ever earn you redemption from that one, cupcake. You'd do better claiming a professorship in Underwater Basket Weaving.
Posted by: Randy Rager | March 06, 2010 at 10:09 AM
Second that, Randy. Sociology is an introduction to the obvious.
Posted by: David | March 06, 2010 at 02:22 PM