Methane DA Methane Hydrate Neg Gabe & Bob

Thesis: Plain and simple, drilling for Methane Hydrate could release methane. Similar
releases of methane caused extinction of 94% of all life on earth, and caused
massive global warming. I ask the judge, is it worth it?

A) Uniqueness

Methane Hydrate Drilling Still A Ways Off

Timothy S. Collett, “Gas Hydrates As A Future Energy Resource,”
November 2004 Despite all the projects and timelines, however, the actual timing
for expected commercial production of hydrates remains uncertain. DOE has estimated
that gas production from gas hydrates could begin around 2015. In September 2003, the
National Petroleum Council reported that we are not likely to see significant production
from gas hydrates until sometime beyond 2025.

B) Link

Drilling For Methane Hydrate Could Cause Large Scale Releases of Methane
Richard Brill, “Methane Holds Promise, And Risks,” June 2007
The first is that the location of hydrate deposits close to prehistoric landslides suggests
that exploitation of sea-floor hydrate could affect the stability of continental shelves and
slopes. This in turn could cause landslides that might damage existing offshore oil and
gas facilities. There is also concern that the disruption of existing hydrate deposits by
landslides could release large amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Global climatic
changes may trigger the release of even greater volumes of methane gas, along with its
strong greenhouse effects. Such changes can affect both the temperature and pressure at
the sea floor.

C) Impacts

Large Methane Release Causes Large Scale Mass Extinction

John Atcheson, “Methane Burps: Ticking Time Bomb,” December 2004
The granddaddy of these catastrophes occurred 251 million
years ago, at the end of the Permian period, when a series of methane burps came close to
wiping out all life on Earth. More than 94 percent of the marine species present in the
fossil record disappeared suddenly as oxygen levels plummeted and life teetered on the
verge of extinction. Over the ensuing 500,000 years, a few species struggled to gain a
foothold in the hostile environment. It took 20 million to 30 million years for even
rudimentary coral reefs to re-establish themselves and for forests to regrow. In some
areas, it took more than 100 million years for ecosystems to reach their former healthy
diversity. If we trigger this runaway release of methane, there's no turning back. No do-
overs. Once it starts, it's likely to play out all the way. Once triggered, this cycle could
result in runaway global warming the likes of which even the most pessimistic
doomsayers aren't talking about.