Permafrost, an icy expanse of frozen ground covering one-quarter of the Northern Hemisphere, is thawing. As it does, microscopic animals are waking up and feeding on the previously frozen carbon stored in plant and animal remains, releasing heat-trapping gases as a byproduct. These gases warm the atmosphere further, melting more permafrost in a dangerous feedback loop. With permafrost containing twice as much carbon as the atmosphere, its thaw could release 150 billion tons of carbon by the end of the century.
The 3rd part of Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops go over the science of just how fossil fuel emissions contribute to the continued melting of permafrost, and why the icy landscapes are so important to our global ecosystem. Check it out on YouTube below, and go to the link in our pinned post to see even more resources for climate education! 👇❄🧊🌍
https://youtu.be/e44IYZ-gQnE
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81 w
Quite alarming research, we better accelerate the climate change solutions to reverse the situation.