July 23, 2010: Gulf Oil Spill and Climate Change - Peter Ward

Art Bell welcomes Professor Peter Ward, a biologist and earth scientist at the University of Washington, to discuss the Gulf oil spill and the broader threat of climate change. Ward expresses deep concern about heavy crude sitting unseen on the Gulf floor, comparing it to a massive blob no one is properly investigating. He warns that this submerged oil will decompose into hydrogen sulfide, a lethal gas capable of devastating the seagrass beds where commercial fish species begin their lives.

The conversation shifts to methane, which Ward identifies as a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. He references the 1982 Lake Nyos disaster, where a sudden gas release killed thousands, and discusses theories about large-scale methane burps from ocean floors triggering planetary catastrophes. He notes that methane levels near the spill site already measure a hundred thousand times above normal, raising alarm about potential ignition.

Ward also addresses climate change, citing his Antarctic fieldwork observing rapid glacier retreat and plant colonization of the peninsula. He emphasizes that June 2010 was the hottest month in recorded history and warns that even a three-foot sea level rise would reshape coastlines, flood airports, and cause economic damage dwarfing the housing crisis.