GoKawiil
Tech News
A Canadian startup, PermaC, has tested an insulating blanket made of woody materials and natural fibers on rapidly eroding permafrost in Canada's Northwest Territories. The method aims to prevent further thaw and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the soil. If successful, this approach could offer a new way to directly address permafrost-related emissions amid climate change.
Researchers studying remote Alaskan rivers have found some running orange, with metal concentrations measured up to 70 times above typical background levels. Scientists attribute the discoloration to thawing permafrost exposing previously frozen minerals to water and air, despite the watersheds being largely undisturbed by human activity.
A new study finds that as global temperatures rise, thawing permafrost, drying forests, wildfires, and warming wetlands are releasing additional methane and carbon dioxide that current climate models largely fail to account for. Researchers estimate these natural feedback loops could amplify overall global warming by 20% to 30% by the end of the century, adding between 0.2C and 0.4C depending on how aggressively nations cut fossil fuel emissions.