Earth’s freshwater supply covers a small fraction of the globe, but absorbs and contributes sizeable amounts of green house gasses to our climate. Scientists say our climate budget underestimates natural global warming contributors by nearly a quarter.
Small farm ponds and other freshwater bodies sink more carbon than all the world’s oceans. But freshwater sources also releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. John Downing, an ecology professor at Iowa State University, recently co-wrote an article on freshwater gas emissions. Host Bruce Gellerman asks him about how these small bodies of water make a big impact on our climate.