Fire in the Ice.
A form of gas-rich ice trapped beneath the Arctic permafrost and underlying Canada's coast could become a major source of low emission fossil fuel over the next two decades, experts say, but only if Ottawa makes a long-term commitment to its development.
Called gas or methane hydrates, the volume of natural gas that can be produced from it may exceed all conventional sources of fossil fuels combined.
It's Canada's opportunity to lose, according to a report from the Council of Canadian Academies, which presented its findings at a conference yesterday in Vancouver.
"If Canada ignores gas hydrates all together, more damaging ways of meeting energy needs could be adopted, and Canada could lose out competitively to other countries, perhaps even to the point of having others exploit Canadian resources."
SOURCE: Toronto Star.