BP and the suicide machine

[muriel_volestrangler]

The Guardian reports that British scientists are in conflict with their American counterparts over the emerging scramble to access oil below the fast-melting Arctic ice sheet. International Polar Year is looming, with a common expectation among the 60 countries taking part that global-warming research will be the big theme. The US Geological Survey, long known for bullish support of the oil industry, intends to participate. They will contribute a hunt for oil and gas in alliance with BP and Statoil. A search, in other words, that if successful cannot fail but accelerate the already catastrophic impacts of global warming on the Arctic. Ungentlemanly conduct, says the head of the British Antarctic Survey. Business as normal, says a spokeswoman from the US Geological Survey.

The most illuminating comment on the spat comes from a City analyst. "If they (BP and Statoil) think there is oil and gas there then they can't ignore it ... They can't afford to sit and watch the others (ExxonMobil, Shell et al) explore and come up with some huge discoveries."

There you have it in a single quote. Oil companies have no choice. The world is overheating to the point of a suicidal point of no return. The fastest warming region is the Arctic. There lurk several of the "tipping points" feared by NASA plus every other the American climate research institute, and the Met Office plus every other British climate research institute. The melting ice decreases the albedo effect, whereby white ice caps reflect solar radiation back into space, so accelerating warming. The melting Arctic floods the north Atlantic with freshwater, turning off the Gulf Stream, with consequent potential to tip the climate into economically ruinous chaos. The warming Arctic speeds the melting of methane hydrates, ice-like solids locking up methane under pressure below the shallow seas and permafrost. Methane is a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide, molecule for molecule. Methane hydrates exist in terrifying quantities below the Arctic. In terms of their potential to accelerate global warming, they represent a potential doomsday machine, as I and other scientists reported sixteen years ago.

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jeremy_leggett/2006/04/bp_and_the_suicide_machine.html

[Briar]

1. Whose bright idea was it

to hand humanity's fate over to the headless chickens in the stock exchanges of the world?



"As for the US Geological Survey? They are looking at the methane hydrates trying to work out how to mine gas from them."

[ixion]

2. t'was ever thus, IMO

the 'masses' have always been quick to appoint one person or group of persons 'in charge'. It seems to be a fatal flaw in the way we're wired. :-(

[PublicWrath]

3. They want it to melt.

So they can get to the oil and gas.

Damn them. Damn them all to hell.

[neverforget]

4. Reckless greed will kill us all........