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Arctic Ice Holds Much CO2

Posted by michael on from the instant-seltzer dept.

scottie2shoes writes "The Edmonton Journal is reporting fascinating research on the role of arctic ice in absorbing carbon dioxide. It seems that (contrary to what was previously thought) arctic ice actually absorbs significant quantites of CO2 and is thus a key player in the 'greenhouse gas game'. So melting the ice caps won't just flood thousands of square miles of land and wipe out thousands of species, now it is is starting to sound serious..."

6 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. Enter the diamond age by El · · Score: 2, Funny

    But couldn't we do something useful with all that carbon, say, make artificial diamonds out of it, thus preventing it from forming C02? More O2 and less C02 would be a good thing, wouldn't it? (Unless you're a plant.)

    --

    "Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney

    1. Re:Enter the diamond age by ColaMan · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nonsense!

      You just need a very sharp chisel.

      --

      You are in a twisty maze of processor lines, all alike.
      There is a lot of hype here.
    2. Re:Enter the diamond age by aminorex · · Score: 4, Funny

      > Let me introduce to you the concept of
      > something called "chemical bonds" and
      > something called "energy."

      Hey, no problem: Global warming means more
      energy, right?

      And we can easily exploit it, since
      temperature differences are what make
      engines run. Here's my plan: Take a big
      wire, put one end in the cold past, and
      the other end in the hot future....

      Uh, nevermind.

      --
      -I like my women like I like my tea: green-
  2. Another hitherto unforseen danger by melquiades · · Score: 4, Funny
    What happens if we finally manage to get consumers, corporations, and governments of industrialized nations to get their act together, and they all get the greenhouse crisis under control and CO2 levels back to normal...

    ...and humanity exhales a huge collective sigh of relief?!?

  3. And now for further details.... by Crypto+Gnome · · Score: 2, Funny

    In an interesting twist on the question of global warming, many and various recent scientific studies show that Research into Global Warming leads to additional releases of Greenhouse Gasses (most notoriously, scientists blowing smoke and being full of hot air)

    In a most impressive statement of The Blindingly Obvious, Professor Julian Something-Thriller was heard commenting that

    "See-oh-two is a GreenHouse Gas, every conference and research project on Global Warming involves vast amounts of rather heated debate greatly increasing the output of said GreenHouse Gas due to the aspirations of the entire scientific community"

    When asked why nobody had seen this coming he retorted that "Even a bumbling fool knows that most GreenHouse gases are invisible to the naked eye."

    --
    Visit CryptoGnome in his home.
  4. Re:nice theory, but -- by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    The poster of this article (and those discussing the potential positive feedback mechanism that kicks in if ice is a greater sink than open water) are really smudging the issue here

    Oh my god! They had the temerity to express a dissenting opinion? Off with their heads. In science there is no room for debate, only blind adherance to the status quo.