More fuel for global warming

From: "Thawing permafrost could unleash tons of carbon" by Deborah Zabarenko.

...As the Siberian permafrost thaws, it will release the carbon contained in old grass roots and buried animal bones into the atmosphere, in what could be an unstoppable contributor to global climate change, according to the researchers.

Earlier climate models may have failed to account for this possible component of global warming, he(Ted Shuur, ecologist, University of Florida) said.

Schuur said this source of atmospheric carbon could create a vicious global warming cycle.

"You have anthropogenic (human-generated) carbon that's making things a little bit warmer, and that causes the permafrost to warm up and carbon is then released from the permafrost," he said. "It goes into the atmosphere and makes things warmer yet again, so then more permafrost thaws...LINK, Reuters

But there is good news, also from Reuters.

Bear Stearns Cos. Inc. (BSC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday its quarterly profit rose 81 percent, easily beating estimates, as strong trading results boosted its key fixed income business.

Bear Stearns shares rose over 4 percent, in line with a rally in brokerage stocks, which outperformed the broader market after falling in recent sessions on concern about an overall plunge in equities. LINK

Thank God.