Global Warming Could Kill 4.5 Billion by 2012—Does That Have Your Attention?

"Over 4.5 Billion people could die from Global Warming-related causes by 2012" reads the actual headline in The Canadian, self-described as "Canada's new socially progressive and cross-cultural national newspaper." Basically, the article is an amped up version of the so-called methane hydrate hypothesis in which rising global temperatures lead to massive releases of methane trapped in permafrost and ocean bottoms. Each molecule of methane has 20 times the global warming potential of a molecule of carbon dioxide.

Should you prepare to kiss your ass good-bye in five years? David Archer, a professor of geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago writing at Realclimate thinks not. His formal review of the current scientific understanding of the role that methane hydrates might play in future climate change is here .

Leftwingers would never exaggerate the risks of climate change–would they?

Addendum disclosure: Since all good people just know that righwing and libertarian journalists underplayed the risks of climate change for filthy lucre, I need to link to my confession to being an alleged global warming whore to industry.