From Carol Stevenson
The consequences of an “Arctic meltdown” reach further than carbon release (28 March, p 32).
Much of the land surrounding the Arctic Ocean resists erosion only because it is frozen. Once the thawed wetland edges are exposed to storm waves and currents, they will rapidly be eroded, increasing the amount of sediment entering the ocean.
The effect on the oceanic and seabed biota will undoubtedly be detrimental. Erosion could also produce sharp cliff edges where there were once shallow slopes. Such slopes favour ice formation at the coast: their loss would impede its re-growth.
One must ask, how will Russia, Canada, the US and Scandinavia react when their territories start to wash away?
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Fred Pearce’s article on warming in the Arctic concentrated on methane leaks from melting permafrost. However, warming would also release any deposits of methane clathrates that may be present under the Arctic Ocean. That “burp” could be both sudden and unexpected, injecting a large amount of methane into our atmosphere.
Instead of wasting money on nuclear power stations, we should be funding research into how to collect and use methane clathrates to fuel electricity generation. Burning methane to produce carbon dioxide would dramatically reduce its global warming potential, decreasing its impact on our planet.
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
London, UK
