Now Reading: Alaska permafrost thaw could cost $43 trillion globally
-
01
Alaska permafrost thaw could cost $43 trillion globally
Thawing permafrost in Alaska could release ancient carbon, causing an estimated $43 trillion in additional global economic damage by 2200, a 2015 study by Cambridge and Colorado universities found. That amount is…
The Story in Brief
Thawing permafrost in Alaska could release ancient carbon, causing an estimated $43 trillion in additional global economic damage by 2200, a 2015 study by Cambridge and Colorado universities found. That amount is a 13% increase over earlier climate damage estimates, with a wide uncertainty range of $3 trillion to $166 trillion.
Permafrost holds about 1,700 gigatonnes of frozen organic matter. As it thaws, microbes release carbon dioxide and methane, accelerating global warming and affecting agriculture, health and weather worldwide.
The Indian Opinion
Some may dismiss the $43 trillion figure as alarmist, but the study's wide uncertainty range shows honest science, not fearmongering. The real issue is that permafrost thaw is a self-accelerating process no country can control alone. Indian readers should watch Arctic methane monitoring data over the next decade, if concentrations spike, the cost estimates will only climb.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
