Fahad bin Mohammed al-Attiyah, chairman of the Sub-Committee of
the Organization of the United Nations Conference on climate
change, gives a press conference following the second day of the
U.N. conference on Tuesday. / Karim Jaafar, AFP/Getty Images
DOHA, Qatar (AP) - The United Nations is warning that a thawing
in the permafrost that covers almost a quarter of the northern
hemisphere could "significantly amplify global warming." The
warning came in a U.N. report released as climate talks
intensified on Tuesday in Qatar. The report says the dangers of
carbon dioxide and methane emissions from warming permafrost are
becoming an emerging issue among climate scientists. These
dangers have so far not been factored in projections about
future temperature rises. Representatives from over 200
countries are negotiating a climate deal in Doha that would keep
global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees C (3.6 F) -
compared to preindustrial times - by 2100. The World Bank has
projected temperatures to increase