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New satellite data from NASA confirms what research released a couple months of go said regarding the thinning of Arctic sea ice . Namely that it has thinned dramatically in the past four years and that for the first time in recorded history seasonal sea ice cover has replaced multi-year ice as the dominant ice type. I

"Arctic sea ice levels to reach record low within days The dramatic melt expected over the next week signals that global warming is having a major impact on the polar region"

Japan said Tuesday that it had extracted gas from offshore deposits of methane hydrate - sometimes called "flammable ice" - a breakthrough that officials and experts said could be a step toward tapping a promising but still little-understood energy source.

"Oil on Ice 01"

In summary- the Japanese have developed the ability to extract a new (well actually it is old, but new type of gas to us) from deep within the ocean seabed.  This not unlike the recent developments with Shale Gas in the United States.  The process is far from perfect yet (and still in its infancy), but given the recent developments, it is likely that the Japanese will invest more into this project in order to fully realize the potential of this energy source.   a couple of points-  This new gas (methane hydrate) would still be considered a fossil fuel, but would burn cleaner than many of Japan's current energy suppliers (coal). Japan's largest supply of energy (nuclear) is under heavy scrutiny lately after the Fukishima disaster- which could be argued as the largest, most far reaching enviornmental disaster in History.  They are trying to move away from relience on nuclear energy which has resulted in a heavy increase on imported fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)- which has had the consequence of driving up energy prices for its citizens and hurting the economy. If this energy source were to work out/pay out- this would bring much needed relief to Japan's "energy crisis" and relience on imported fossil fuels. This extraction of this new type of energy, like Shale Oil and Gas, is likely very very risky and could have calamatious effects on the surrounding enviornment, if in the event a spill/leak where to happen (this gas is deep deep within the ocean seabed.. A leak would be very very hard to stop). Recent developments could mean movement away from Japan's current trend of investing in (and development of) green energies such as wind, solar, and geothermal. The exact properties of undersea hydrates and how they might affect the environment are still poorly understood, given that methane is a greenhouse gas.   So my questions are: Should Japan pursue this course of action (developing this new type of energy)? What happens if