We need to talk about permafrost and its impact on the climate
photo by Aqua Sanders.
We need to talk about permafrost and its impact on the climate
On The Carbon Copy podcast this week:
In the Global North, up to 15% of the earth’s surface is covered in permafrost. Permafrost is a frozen layer of rocks, soil, ice and partially decomposed plants — and it’s a massive carbon sink.
The earth’s permafrost layer contains 1.5 trillion metric tons of carbon. That’s twice the amount currently in the earth’s atmosphere. And, no surprise, it is melting at an accelerated rate due to climate change.
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