For the record, it appears that ocean currents are destabilizing methane hydrates on the Arctic slope. The warmer the ocean gets, the more methane gets spewed out of those stores on the continental shelf, and the warmer the ocean gets, ad infinitum.
There is an immense amount of carbon stored in the arctic. “It’s a giant number. But we should think in terms of, even if a small amount of that carbon comes out, that’s a problem.”
“We’re on a trajectory to an unmanageable heating scenario, and we need to get off it,” he said. “The climate dragon is being poked, and eventually the dragon becomes pissed off enough to trash the place.”
“If you stand to lose everything, then even a low probability event is high-risk. That’s why people fund armies—just in case they get invaded. We need to invest in decarbonizing our energy system.”