Thawing permafrost releases nitrous oxide. A recent study by scientists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark has found that the greenhouse gas
nitrous oxide is released as permafrost in the Northern Hemisphere thaws. Identified as the third most predominant greenhouse gas by the United Nations after carbon dioxide and methane, nitrous oxide is 310 times more warming than carbon dioxide and its release into the atmosphere creates a feedback loop that accelerates global warming.
Previously, scientists had thought that permafrost thawing did not release nitrous oxide in large amounts, but this most recent study, conducted on core samples from Greenland, indicates that as the soil is re-saturated with melt-water, nitrous oxide production increases to 20 times it natural levels, with a third entering the atmosphere.
University of Copenhagen scientists, we are grateful for your observations that add to our knowledge about climate change. May such awareness motivate us all to act now while we still can protect our precious planet.
Supreme Master Ching Hai has often expressed her concern regarding the melting of the Arctic permafrost, also urging actions to halt it, as in this July 2008 videoconference with our Association members in the US.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: And you see, if it is not cold then even all the permafrost, which is the cold hard mud layers, will be melted also, and then the gas from the permafrost also will be released. So it depends on how many people join the vegetarian diet.
The more vegetarian people, the less killing of the animals, the more time we have to rescue the planet and the lives on the planet. So everybody has to join to into the vegetarian diet, and stop the killing, stop the harm to other people and the animals and save energies every way possible and go green wherever possible.
THEN WE STILL CAN SAVE THE PLANET
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=10290840http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/04/nitrous-oxides-global-warming-impact-no-laughing-matter/Extra NewsDuring the annual Boao Forum for Asia, Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen meets with China’s Vice President Xi Jinping, where the two leaders pledge continued cooperation on addressing climate change.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-04/10/c_13245521.htmSwedish researchers find that fish swimming in treated wastewater contain high levels of human hormone medicine residues, resulting in their inability to produce young.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/04/12/Medicine-residues-can-threaten-fish/UPI-58211271091296/With warming temperatures leading to increased sensitivity to harmful chemicals, a study conducted by the UN Environment Program is further evaluating the impact of climate change on the effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34068&Cr=climate+change&Cr1=http://chm.pops.int/Convention/tabid/54/language/en-US/Default.aspx#convtexthttp://www.unep.org/Experts/default.asp?page=profiles&l=en&expertID=116Following COP16 talks in Bonn, Germany, around 175 nations agreed to hold two additional week-long meetings in preparation for the November Mexico climate change conference.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE63A0MR.htm