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China To Tap Combustible Ice As New Energy Source

Posted by timothy on from the undra-the-tundra dept.

lilbridge writes "Huge reserves of "combustible ice" — frozen methane and water — have been discovered in the tundra of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. Estimates show that there is enough combustible ice to provide 90 years worth of energy for China. Burning the combustible ice may be a far better alternative than letting it just melt, releasing tons of methane into the air."

1 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. Re:well yeah, by jonadab · · Score: 0, Redundant

    > Note also that oxidising one methane molecule does not produce one CO2 molecule...

    ORLY?

    I would have written the reaction thusly:

    CH4 + 2(O2) -> CO2 + 2(H2O) + energy

    That's one carbon, four hydrogen, and four oxygen on each side of the reaction, and the oxidization of one methane molecule is producing exactly one carbon dioxide molecule.

    Care to explain how this is wrong?

    --
    Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.