Methane hydrate is a solid form of water containing large amounts of methane, occurring in vast quantity (“2-10x the currently known reserves of conventional natural gas”) on ocean floors. When warmed or depressurized, it turns into water and natural gas. However, there’s a big downside too.
Methane, a “greenhouse” gas, is 10 times more effective than carbon dioxide in causing climate warming.
Extraction could also cause landslides on the ocean floor, releasing huge amounts of methane. Japan has especially large amounts offshore and is doing major research into extracting it.
Like it or not, extraction of methane hydrates will probably happen, let’s hope it’s done sanely and safely.
Like they say, “You get nothing for nothing, or, there is no such thing as a free lunch.”
I’ve a time or two suggested to the, ahhh… less progressive of my acquaintances that if they were to truly wow me with the intellectual and technological prowess of their heroes the oil/auto/suburbia complex… figure out how to capture the methane evaporating exponentially into the atmosphere “at times more effective(ness) than carbon dioxide in causing climate warming” as the north hemispheric tundra thaws.
Ought to be enough there to power an awful lot of jacked-up de-engineered suburban assault vehicles with that. Maybe even make a little money.
They don’t get it.