Permafrost is frozen soil that has preserved things such as ancient animal bones and centuries-old icebergs. Permafrost contains twice as much carbon as is currently in Earth's atmosphere and it also preserves old bacteria. When it's defrosted the bacteria eats dead plants and animals turning their carbon into gases such as carbon dioxide. As the permafrost warms, the microbes are releasing gases contributing to further warming. Listen to learn more about this warming cycle.
Story Length: 6:21
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September 18, 2017
3:56
Hurricane Harvey was enormous and Hurricane Irma had record high winds of 185 miles per hour. This is very unusual, but not unprecedented. What’s unusual is that they both hit land. Global warming creates more heat, and the more heat you have, the bigger the storms. Listen to hear about the relationship between big storms and climate change.
Read MoreSeptember 15, 2015
4:34
New government climate change regulations, which aim to limit the demand for coal, are threatening to cause layoffs, bankruptcies and impact the livelihood of many U.S. coal town families. Coal is the number one contributor to climate change and 40% of the coal mined in the United States is on federal land, land belonging to the public. Coal mining companies pay the government to lease this land, as a part of the federal coal program. Debates have sparked hearings this summer in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, and New Mexico. In Wyoming, where 84% of the coal mined on federal land comes from, coal miners are fighting for their jobs. Listen to different perspectives on coal mining.
Read MoreMay 19, 2014
6:47
Polar ice in Antarctica is melting and that creates rises in sea level that will greatly impact coastal cities like Boston. Scientists believe that it’s now time to think of solutions that address the unavoidable problems created by global climate change.
Read MoreMarch 6, 2014
4:20
Is it fair to charge countries per carbon emission? Some leading researchers think so. They also believe that this could motivate countries to be more prepared for climate change and energy reductions.
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