Agnostic.com

9 7

[newsweek.com]


Scientific Plan To Create Arctic Elephant by Studying Woolly Mammoth DNA.


Scientists believe mammoth-elephant hybrids could help avert melting permafrost by trampling foliage in the Arctic ... Rapid tree growth now seen in the Arctic makes it harder for frost to penetrate the ground and freeze it ... The aim is to re-introduce mammoth hybrids into ecosystems in which they used to exist ... These hybrids could also help extant elephants living today. All elephant species are endangered ... Giving them new land in the Arctic that's far away from humans, would protect them from the major culprits causing their extinction.

AnonySchmoose 8 Feb 4
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

9 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

0

It’s too late

It's too late for that - yes. I'm always looking for new information about ways to reverse global warming. There are many ways, and we need them all. I just hope to know more about unheard of ways.

@AnonySchmoose PBS has a show NOVA about the permafrost. Artctic Sinkholes It’s worth watching. Huge amounts of methane are being release from the permafrost. Plus, “fossil” methane from deep in the earth is also starting to escape. It was held in place by ice. I’ll try and post a link. I’m very pessimistic.

@ADKSparky
My housemate was watching that a day or so ago at the same time people were reacting and commenting to this post. Those holes are enormously dangerous. He commented that growth of new forests might help control a percentage of the methane release, even though they wouldn't prevent arctic ice melting.

0

Awesome

Anything to save the elephants would be great.
I don't think the theory could come to fruition soon enough to slow melting of arctic ice. It would take too long to breed enough arctic elephants and aurochs to really help stop global warming.

1

Sounds like the opening premise for a "The Asylum" Horror film

"They were supposed to save the world
Now they are taking it for themselves"

Coming soon

MALEPHANT!!!!

Pack your trunk, your gonna need it!

Quite the idea for a battle-of-species thriller.
The nickname Malephant is ideal as an insult
about ultra-conservative GOP jerks. Thanks!

1

I've been hearing about this for awhile now..seems a lot farfetched..

It's terrible how threatened elephants are.
It would take generations to populate the arctic with enough elephants and aurochs to keep permafrost from melting, which is too late to keep global warming within a safe limit. Maybe planting forest can store some of the arctic methane. [inhabitat.com]

1

Are they resilient to methane? Apparently that area is filled with methane pockets, which is going to contribute to rising global climate woes.

That is a good question. Filled with crater-sized sink holes. Seems like growing forests might help keep a percentage of methane in the ground, yet not stop polar ice melt. A study says that spruces, pines, and firs are exceptionally adept at absorbing methane. Should not cut down Xmas trees growing there though. [inhabitat.com]

1

Have they a refrigerator big enough to make it feel "at home"? not to mention a mate?

The idea is not that practical in the short run, because there wouldn't be enough of them to prevent methane release. Good point about having mates, because hybrids are usually sterile, though cloned animals are not sterile.

@AnonySchmoose I was thinking that right now a showman is hoping to make a packet of dough out of this even if it has to help fund the research. The public will come . ,

@Mcflewster
I'll bet many entrepreneur think they can make money on eco-tourism, which also would bring them prestige of doing something for a good cause.

1

The forever game: scientists seeking taxpayers’ money.

The idea is partly about saving the wonderful elephants from extinction. Using them to prevent permafrost melt is not practical in the short run, because there wouldn't be enough of them for many decades. Lots of methane would still get released. It could save money in the long run, if it prevents future methane release and thus lessens global weather disasters which themselves are extremely expensive globally.

3

That tickles the ivories.

Flying with ears.

3

That could take a long time, even if it works.

Just the thing I was thinking too. There is a possibility of storing methane though not preventing of arctic ice melt. [inhabitat.com]

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:648851
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.