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Russia's remote permafrost thaws, threatening homes and infrastructure
(Reuters, 18 Oct 2021) As Russia warms 2.8 times faster than the global average, the melting of Siberia's long-frozen tundra is releasing gases that could frustrate global efforts to curb climate change.
The old airport in the Siberian settlement of Churapcha has been unusable for years, its runway transformed into a swampy field of puffed-up mounds and reliefs.
Like cities and towns across northern and northeastern Russia, Churapcha is suffering the consequence of climate change thawing the permafrost on which everything is built.
"There isn't a single settlement in Russia's Arctic where you wouldn't find a destroyed or deformed building," said Alexey Maslakov, a scientist at Moscow State University.
Homes are becoming separated from sinking earth. Pipelines and storage facilities are under threat. Roads are increasingly in need of repair.
As Russia warms 2.8 times faster than the global average, the melting of Siberia's long-frozen tundra is releasing greenhouse gases that scientists fear could frustrate global efforts to curb climate-warming emissions.
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Reuters, 18 Oct 2021: Russia's remote permafrost thaws, threatening homes and infrastructure
