More good "News" from Mother Nature....
https://orf.at/stories/3174559/
Methane leak in the seabed raises questions
A leak in the bottom of the Antarctic is likely to have released methane for years - a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect. It is the first active seabed methane leak in Antarctica that has now been explored. Scientists are not worried about the leak itself. They fear rising water temperatures, which can lead to the large-scale release of the gas.
The leak is at a depth of ten meters in McMurdo Sound, a bay in the Ross Sea. The active leak was discovered by divers in 2011, but could only be scientifically researched in 2016. The results are now available and have been published in the journal "Proceedings of the Royal Society B". They paint a bleak picture of the possible consequences of the discovery.
The scientists assume that the gas, which is harmful to the climate, has been released into the atmosphere for years. The origin of the gas is likely to be decaying algal deposits buried under sediments that are thousands of years old. Most of the underwater deposits are decomposed by microbes in the sediment - methane is also an energy source that some microbes use for metabolism. Not so with the active leak in the Ross Sea.
The microorganisms that normally consume methane in the Antarctic Ross Sea would not have settled until five years after the leak had become active and in insufficient numbers. According to the study, the methane was released. This is the team's most important discovery, says study leader Andrew Thurber from Oregon State University. "It is not a good thing. It took more than five years for the microbes to show up, and even then methane was still rapidly leaking out of the ocean floor, ”Thurber told the Guardian.
Methane release as a "tipping point"
The researchers were concerned that the gas would leak in large quantities. It could be widely released if the climate crisis caused water temperatures to rise. At least the reason for the leak should not have anything to do with global warming, since the Ross Sea has not yet warmed up significantly.
https://orf.at/stories/3174516/
Australia
Luxury homes threaten to crash into the sea
In the Australian town of Wamberal, a coast has been eroded so badly after severe storms that several houses are at risk of being destroyed. Around 40 luxury homes are affected. The residents had to leave their homes and are now sharply criticizing the authorities.
The residents had to vacate their houses within two hours during low tide. When they can return is uncertain, the Australian broadcaster 9News. Several houses were declared to be at risk of falling. The situation could worsen: Heavy waves are expected again on Thursday night. In a desperate attempt at protection, sandbags were now piled up in front of the cliff.
In recent days, meter-high waves had hollowed out the cliff under the houses. Already parts of the particularly affected buildings are now only supported by pillars. Stairs for beach access, parts of terraces and front gardens fell victim to the floods. The foundations of one house were torn off and another half a room. Gas, electricity and water were turned off and the area closed. In a first immediate measure, stones should stabilize the coast.
Consequential call for the bank wall
According to CNN, residents have criticized the authorities for ignoring the coast erosion accelerated by climate change for too long. The neighborhood warned years ago and lobbyed for the construction of a bank wall - but unsuccessfully. The city replied in an open letter that the residents could now take appropriate measures themselves without the authorities imposing regulatory restrictions.
That only further outraged the other side. “We cannot protect our homes at our own expense, and the authorities don't want to do anything,” said a local, according to 9News. He criticized that the neighborhood had been left alone with the problem for over a decade. In the open letter, the city referred to the emergency measures and emphasized that it was not the time for mutual blame.
Coasts extremely endangered
The incident will probably not remain an isolated event. According to the Australian government, around 39,000 buildings along the country's coast are at risk of slow erosion in the long term. This would be accelerated and exacerbated by the consequences of climate change. Climate change also increases the risk of short-term, extreme world events that can cause serious damage in coastal regions within a short period of time.
Australia's environment also suffers enormously from climate change. An environmental report for 2019 marked a devastating year for the continent's unique nature. Compared to the averages of the past 19 years, Australia experienced 36 percent more days when it was over 35 degrees. The rainfall, however, was extremely low.
The situation was exacerbated by the devastating bushfires in the fall of last year: According to the government, 830 million tons of carbon dioxide were released in the bushfires, which is more than the usual annual greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
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