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These Methane-Eating Microbes Are Drastically Helping


To Reduce Global Warming
Thank god for that.
01/08/2017 11:11

150

Sophie Gallagher

Life Writer at HuPost UK

They might be small, but they are proving to be mighty, as scientists have
discovered a breed of microbes living in Antarctic glaciers are protecting the TREND I N G

planet from worsening global warming.

The previously unrecognised methane-eating microbes, found 800 metres


below the ice in subglacial reservoirs, are responsible for destroying 99% of
methane that could otherwise be released into the atmosphere.

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Scientists have been particularly concerned about methane levels at the
poles, as the gashas a warming greenhouse eect that is 30 times that of Police Closing In On Armed And
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carbon dioxide. Accused Of Murder

And the retreating Antarctic glaciers are storing enough of the gas to ll more
than a billion hot air balloons.

Brent Christner, co-author on the study, said: Theres been a lot of concern
about the amount of methane thats beneath these ice sheets because we
dont know exactly whats going to happen to it.

Currently, when the gas is trapped in the ice it is not harming the
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environment, but as the world warms and the glaciers retreat, it is released Supports Ant McPartlin As He Speaks Out
into the surrounding atmosphere. On Stars Rehab Stint

So the new study ofWhillans Lake, from the University of Florida, wanted to
see exactly how the microbes could be playing a role in saving the
environment from the full impact of the gas escaping.

This is an environment that most people look at and dont think it could ever
really directly impact us...but this is a process that could have climatic
implications, said Christner.
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Although this study has shown that the microbes are doing a good job, Dubai Skyscraper In Chilling Echo Of
eating 99% of the methane, they do not have proof that this is a widespread Grenfell
phenomenon.

And future studies will need to assess whether this process is pervasive
across subglacial lakes in Antarctica.

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Why

Scientists have previously warned, as reported by HuPost UK, that humans


attempts to curb carbon dioxide emissions could be undermined by the
proliferation of methane.

And withmethane gas emissions now growing faster now than at any time in
the last two decades - emissions began to surge in 2007 and shot up in 2014
and 2015 by 10 parts per billion each year - they are threatening eorts to Countryle Host Anita Rani Calls For
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limit global warming to two degrees celsius. As Gender Pay Gap

While the cause of the spike is unclear, scientists suspect it comes from
agricultural sources around the tropics, like rice paddies and cattle pastures.
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Add a comment...

Chris Shaftoe Works at In pensione


Quick! Grab a few and breed them, then sell them for a fortune before they nd a way to tax them!!!
Like Reply 1 August 2017 22:05

Vernon Brechin
This article is misleading and seems to be aimed at reducing a sense of urgency regarding
Anthropogenic Climate Disruption (ACD) effects. Its been known for decades that some bacteria
feed on methane. Its an ancient metabolic process. The subglacial lakes in the antarctic are a tiny
percentage of the landmass there. This doesnt address anything regarding the arctic region and it
didnt even mention the research showing increasing emissions from that region, both from the
seaoor and the surrounding landmass, containing immense quantities of thawing permafrost and
methane hydrates. As recent ndings, in northern Siberia show, trapped methane chambers can
erupt violently giving the surrounding methane consuming bacteria no opportunity to consume it
before it spews into the atmosphere.
Like Reply 1 August 2017 23:12

Geoff Beacon Loreto college st albans


METHANE FROM LANDFILL

EPA:"Municipal solid waste (MSW) landlls are the third-largest source of human-related methane
emissions in the United States, accounting for approximately 15.4 percent of these emissions in
2015."

I have been told a metre (3ft?) of soil above landll sites would cause these methane-eating microbes
to stop these emissions reaching the atmosphere - but as global warming doesn't exist in the USA ...
Like Reply 2 August 2017 10:55

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