Undersea Deposits of Frozen Methane Found

geoswan writes "The CBC is running a story about large deposits of Frozen methane off the coast of Vancouver Island . The deposits may be 850 meters deep. The story doesn't say how the methane came to be a solid. Pressure? The story doesn't address what technology could be used to mine these deposits, if the decision is made to develop these resources. The CBC showed pictures taken of the methane hydrate. Sure enough, it looked like a big snowbank. It is an environmentally sensitive area. So, how about it, should it be exploited?"

Comments

On global warming concerns.

[Mantrid]

Are there things we have to do to protect the environment? Sure. Smog in cities. Poison in the waters. This must indeedy be cleaned up. Strip mining, clear cutting these can all leave ugly scars on the landscape.

But this global warming stuff is just making a mountain out of a molehill. Climate change is going to happen whether we are here or not. Global warming or global cooling, glacial flow, heck even mass extinctions will occur no matter what human kind does. It happened long before we were around and it'll happen long after we are gone. The earth has gone through far more dramatic climate change then anything we are witnessing - multiple times.

Look at what happens all around us - our industrial output pales in comparison to the amount of green house gases emitted by the Mt. St. Helens eruption for example. Oil seeps up from the sea. And these methane deposits - ever think they may just make it up to the surface after particularily major events- storms, etc?

We think we are this all powerful force that is going to overrun the earth changing it in ways that it has never changed before. Bloody nonsense. We can do some damage sure and we must be at least a bit careful. But enough of this screaming bloody murder every time we even think about using an energy source.

Suppose there is this vast, tappable resource of methane. Let's dig it up and burn it - but replace or retrofit coal fired power stations to use methane...wouldn't that be an improvement? oh sure you want solar power and wind power - but guess what, it just isn't workable yet on any sort of large scale.

Re:We don't use our other methane sources

[RebelTycoon]

Just like your Mom!

(too...damn...easy...)