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We’re still releasing the potent greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere today, but there was a massive release in the past: About 55 million years ago, the Earth burped up a massive release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere–an amount equivalent to burning all the petroleum and other fossil fuels that exist today. Geologist Will Clyde is concerned because "We don’t know where it came from. This is a big part of the carbon cycle that affected the climate system, and we don’t understand it."
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The Arctic is melting, but not everyone is worried–in fact, it’s opening up large reserves of oil and minerals that are causing a "cold rush" by various countries who want to mine the area. It may even lead to a new "cold war:" The US recently dispatched two nuclear-powered submarines out to patrol 150 miles north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, where the Chinese are eager to search for oil. This move comes at a time when Russia has increased missile testing in the region and Norway has moved its main military base to the far north.
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This season’s massive Arizona fires have destroyed dozens of structures and burned nearly three-quarters of a million acres. But they’ve also done something else: They also are contributing to global warming by upsetting the carbon balance while they are burning and for years to come. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide, but how long they hold onto it affects the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Ecologist Mike Stoddard says, "These large fires are devastating our forests. We’re concerned that (trees are) not regenerating after these wildfire events."
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