Earth: Extinctions & Climate

Show Audio
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Highlights:
Hydrogen Sulfide Issues win real Lake Nyos & Carbon Dioxide win real Climate & Sea Level Rise win real
MP3 Downloads:
Hour 1    Hour 2    Hour 3    Hour 4

Date:	03-12-08
Host:	George Noory
Guests:	Peter Ward

Appearing during the first three hours, Prof. Peter Ward, the author of Under a Green Sky, discussed his latest work on hydrogen sulfide extinctions, and how we are creating the circumstances for extinctions in the future. His research has connected past mass extinctions and global warming. Greenhouse gases and the melting of the ice-caps could create a dangerous situation where the ocean currents stop circulating. The stagnation of the oceans' waters would lead to the thriving of a type of bacteria that produces hydrogen sulfide. Killing off life in the ocean and sending toxic gases into the atmosphere, hydrogen sulfide could actually turn the sky green, he noted.

The coast off of Namibia is a hydrogen sulfide "hot spot" and the eruptions can be seen in this NASA satellite photo. Curiously, it has been found that hydrogen sulfide can have startling medical benefits, putting injured people into a kind of suspended animation until they can be treated. For more on hydrogen sulfide, see this Wired interview with Ward.

He also talked about how the melting of ice and subsequent rise of sea levels will flood coastal cities. There'll be enormous costs associated with moving cities and infrastructure to inland locations, and the influx of saltwater could wipe out agriculture, he warned.

The last hour of the show featured Open Lines.

Bumper Music

Bumper music from Wednesday March 12, 2008

1.	December Collective Soul	2.	Devil Went Down to Georgia Charlie Daniels Band	3.	Do it Again Steely Dan
4.	Dust in the Wind Kansas	5.	Inca Dance Cusco	6.	It's My Life Animals
7.	Latin Quarter Marc Antoine	8.	Like a Rock Bob Seger	9.	Midnight Express (The Chase) Giorgio Moroder
10.	Midnight Express (The Chase) Giorgio Moroder	11.	Sixteen Tons Tennessee Ernie Ford	12.	Stardust Willie Nelson
13.	Stardust Johnny Crawford	14.	Swan Lake Blackalicious	15.	Take Me to the River Talking Heads
16.	Till There Was You Beatles	17.	Till There Was You Barbara Cook	18.	Till There Was You Anita Bryant
19.	Till There Was You Shirley Jones	20.	Winning Santana	21.	Johnny B. Goode Chuck Berry