If nothing else, the G7 countries’ recent agreement to end fossil fuel use for energy by 2100 signals a shift in the way we talk and think about global warming. Previous agreements were about reducing carbon emissions from burning coal, oil and gas. This takes matters a step further by envisioning a fossil fuel–free future. There are reasons for cynicism: the long time frame means …
Scientists predict gradual, prolonged permafrost greenhouse gas emissions, allowing us more time to adapt
A new scientific synthesis suggests a gradual, prolonged release of greenhouse gases from permafrost soils in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, which may afford society more time to adapt to environmental changes, say scientists in an April 9 paper published in Nature. “Twenty years ago there was very little research about the possible rate of permafrost carbon release,” said co-author A. …