Big Thaw Could Unleash Ancient Plague, page 1

posted on Sep, 30 2005 @ 04:35 PM

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As we already know, the ice is melting rapidly in the Arctic regions. When the ice melts viruses and bugs hidden for thousands of years may thaw and escape. Viruses we thought we had eradicated or viruses even unknown to science may re-emerge.

Cape Times: Big thaw could unleash ancient plague

September 30, 2005

Deadly bugs lurking in the ice

As global warming melts the world's ice sheets, rising sea levels are not the only danger. Viruses hidden for thousands of years may thaw and escape - and we will have no resistance to them.

Illnesses we thought we had eradicated as common viruses, like human influenza, could have a devastating effect if melting ice releases a bygone strain to which we have no resistance. What is more, new species unknown to science may re-emerge. And it is not just humans who are at risk: animals, plants and marine creatures could also suffer as ancient microbes thaw out.

In 1999, Scott Rogers from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and his colleagues reported finding the tomato mosaic tobamovirus (ToMV) in 17 different ice-core sections at two locations deep inside the Greenland ice pack. Gentle defrosting revealed that this common plant pathogen had survived being entombed in ice for 140 000 years.

Since then Rogers has found many other microbes in ice samples from Greenland, Antarctica, and Siberia. And this has turned out to be just the tip of the microbial iceberg. Over the last 10 years biologists have discovered bacteria, fungi, viruses, algae and yeast hibernating under as much as four kilometres of ice all over the world.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

I have already been thinking about this scenario but I brushed it away as it was too disturbing. Now I just found this story and it suddenly seems like a possible scenario. Animals are at risk too. Watch the animals. If they start to die mysteriously, alarm bells should ring bigtime. How can we possibly protect us against this threat?

[edit on 2005/9/30 by Hellmutt]

intrepid

posted on Sep, 30 2005 @ 04:49 PM

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I don't see much of a problem here. Polar caps are surrounded by salt water, a great cleanser. We go by a rule of thumb at work, the solution to pollution(whatever it is) is dillution. You can't get more dilluted on Earth than the oceans.

Hellmutt

posted on Sep, 30 2005 @ 05:04 PM

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Originally posted by intrepid

Polar caps are surrounded by salt water, a great cleanser.

True, but the bacteria, fungi, viruses, algae and yeast may not necessarily "swim" in the salt water to get to us. Fish and birds might be infected. Maybe this stuff could even spread through the air. And Arctic ice is not just melting at the polar caps. There is "old" ice melting in Canada, Alaska and Siberia too...

intrepid

posted on Sep, 30 2005 @ 05:10 PM

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Originally posted by Hellmutt
There is "old" ice melting in Canada, Alaska and Siberia too...

Gotcha Hellmutt BUT once defrosted that infectant would have to deal with the ocean. I've swam 2 of those puppies, Atlantic and Pacific, lots of salt there. Probably WAY more than when these infectant went to sleep.

Frozen they probably had a future, activated? Certain death imo.

I'm not dissing you, just making an observation.

Umbrax

posted on Sep, 30 2005 @ 05:27 PM

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This had not even occurred to me. My mouth dropped from reading the article

I hope the polar regions have been too cold through out living history so that anything major wont be under the ice.

Hellmutt

posted on Nov, 18 2005 @ 10:14 AM

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Originally posted by Umbrax

I hope the polar regions have been too cold through out living history so that anything major wont be under the ice.

Unfortunately, they did found a virus which (as the article say) "had survived being entombed in ice for 140 000 years"... This proves that viruses can survive being frozen and for a very long time as well. I wonder if they find out something very disturbing, they will tell us or hush it down...

Hellmutt

posted on Jan, 7 2006 @ 06:47 PM

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I wonder if the bird flu could be here as a result of thawing ice? Where did the bird flu come from anyway?

Koskov

posted on Jan, 7 2006 @ 06:55 PM

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Don't think its a question of "if" this will happend, but when. And perhaps we need it, that people are dying all over the world so the people once again feel happy just to be alive, and the reason for us being here... We have forgot to be nice, and even thou it will be devastating , it will give us a reminder...

I read the full story, and its a lot we still don't know, but we like to think we do.. Things are happening much faster than we think, burning down the forrest, this virus, melting the polar caps. Havent seen so much written about it, but this storm is USA, katarina, all the water there were just pumped out in the ocean. And scientist said the water was toxic and should not come in contact with the skin. Who much toxic water and god knows what was in the street were just pumped out. We are killing ourself and everything that will die because of us.

I bet in 20 years we will miss fishing , hunting and just to breath fresh air. And in a world where money and power means everything for most people is't a recepie for going straigh to hell...

I don't look so bright on the future, did i say that?

Hope im wrong..

loam

posted on Jan, 7 2006 @ 07:00 PM

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Hellmutt

I believe the first case of avian flu virus was discovered in South African more than 50 or so years ago....I'll need to confirm those facts.

Concerning the viability of all the "nasties" in the glacial or polar ice, I think it a broad assumption to make that no risk is there. As you already pointed out, much is on land as well as sea.

Moreover, it is a falsehood that all viruses would be impeded by the salinity of the oceans. If that were true, then sea life today would not be subject to viral diseases....and they most certainly are.

The danger is not only to humans, but to all wildlife. If there were a "black plague" of sorts initiated in the oceans by the release of any dangerous pathogen, how do you think that would affect ecosystems and ultimately man?

The issue is a broader one than most think.

[edit on 7-1-2006 by loam]

soficrow

posted on Jan, 7 2006 @ 07:16 PM

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Originally posted by loam

I believe the first case of avian flu virus was discovered in South African more than 50 or so years ago....I'll need to confirm those facts.

Scotland, 1959.

Addlestone Labs I think...

loam

posted on Jan, 7 2006 @ 08:13 PM

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soficrow:

Out of curiosity, I found this:

Avian Infuenza

Avian influenza is an infectious disease of birds caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. The disease, which was first identified in Italy more than 100 years ago, occurs worldwide.

It's funny, because I really do remember South Africa being first...

Valhall

posted on Jan, 7 2006 @ 08:38 PM

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Actually, wasn't the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920 also considered part of the "avian flu" category? I think it was, but I might be confused.

loam

posted on Jan, 7 2006 @ 08:42 PM

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Valhall:

Yes... at least according to their reconstruction of that virus.

allisoneisall

posted on Jan, 7 2006 @ 08:51 PM

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Well this may be a tad off topic but wouldnt it be great if melting ice in antartica or elsewhere revealed intelligently made structures?I mean, which posture do you think world scientists would take, alien construction or the complete admission that humanity must be at least tens of thousands of years older than they have insisted?I think it would be pretty hard to cover up in such a starkly visible enviroment.

Koskov

posted on Jan, 8 2006 @ 10:26 AM

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Originally posted by allisoneisall
Well this may be a tad off topic but wouldnt it be great if melting ice in antartica or elsewhere revealed intelligently made structures?

Dont think it will be much left under the ice even thou it melts. The ice moves you know, crushing everything under millions of tons of ice. Nothing left there.

And its not only the thundra in siberia, ice in canada, greenland, and arctic that is melting. Also mountains like K2, Mount everest, Rocky Montains, the Himalayas, IF there is a disaster frozen in the ice, it can come from anywhere.. with the birds, or by the melting ice wich people drink and get sick.

[edit on 8-1-2006 by Koskov]

DontTreadOnMe

posted on Apr, 9 2006 @ 12:31 PM

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I skimmed through the article, a bad habit I know, but is/was there any proof that this has ever happened?

And, anyway, how do we know the ice caps will continue to melt?

In the 1970s, there was some indication of "global cooling"

For your reading enjoyment:
www.nationalcenter.org...
www.etherzone.com...
www-earth.usc.edu...
www.iceagenow.com...

[edit on 9-4-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

loam

posted on Apr, 9 2006 @ 03:53 PM

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Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
I skimmed through the article, a bad habit I know, but is/was there any proof that this has ever happened?

Here's the piece you skimmed.

In 1999, Scott Rogers from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and his colleagues reported finding the tomato mosaic tobamovirus (ToMV) in 17 different ice-core sections at two locations deep inside the Greenland ice pack. Gentle defrosting revealed that this common plant pathogen had survived being entombed in ice for 140 000 years.

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
And, anyway, how do we know the ice caps will continue to melt?

The evidence is not good. I think the before and after pics tell it all...

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
In the 1970s, there was some indication of "global cooling"

For your reading enjoyment:
www.nationalcenter.org...

David A. Ridenour is not a scientist, at least not of the non-political kind.

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
www.etherzone.com...

Neither is Phil Brennan.

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
www-earth.usc.edu...

This article was written over 9 years ago, on Wednesday, August 13, 1997. There's been a decade of science past that date that puts into perspective these oscillations. The article does nothing to disprove the unprecedented acceleration we are witnessing today.

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
www.iceagenow.com...

Robert W. Felix is another non-scientist selling a book.

I love what this reviewer said:

I'm sorry zero stars aren't possible. An early review of this book stated: 'Lots of psuedo-science in this disaster scenario scare book. Author blames magnetic reversals for almost everything; dinosaur extinctions, earthquakes, sea level changes, and most of all ice ages. He mixes enough actual science in to alarm people who are not well read on these subjects. Many scientists and scientific concepts are quoted way out of context to prop up author's theories. For example he confuses nuclear fusion in the sun with the aurora, calling it "miniature atomic explosions". Does he know he causes 'miniature atomic explosions' every time he turns on a fluorescent light? Many of his ideas could be shown to be wrong with a couple of magnets on your desk.'

As an informed non-scientist on climate issues, I can only add that Felix's specific ideas on that subject are equally ludicrous. A good place to get the facts on climate is www.realclimate.org, a blog run by actual climate scientists. RealClimate does assume a degree of prior knowledge of climate issues, so for a primer click on "Climate Basics" under Science Links on the right side of the home page.

Source.

Regenmacher

posted on Apr, 9 2006 @ 06:38 PM

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Originally posted by Hellmutt
How can we possibly protect us against this threat?

Looks like earth has an autocontrol mechanism built in that prevents extremes in terresterial dwellers behavior. Another aspect of global warming is that current tropical diseases will migrate, into new regions.

Plague could worsen with global warming
"Wetter, warmer weather conditions mean there are likely to be more of the bacteria around than normal and the chance of it spreading to humans is higher," he said.

Prevention of ancient diseases ebbing from frozen water is yet another reason that we have take a more active role in ecosystem conservation, rather than partying and making war like the apocalypse will soon be here or it will be lights out the party is over.

edwardteach

posted on Apr, 10 2006 @ 02:16 PM

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Sounds like a great opening scene in a zombie flick...the zombie viruse gets revived with the melting ice, villagers drink the water, and presto! An instant horror classic.

I wonder what new viruses will be unleashed....

[edit on 10-4-2006 by edwardteach]

mojo4sale

posted on Apr, 10 2006 @ 06:03 PM

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looks like this may also work in reverse, this article below seems to be saying that we are a greater threat to ancient micro organisms than they are to us.

www.alertnet.org...

these russian guys seem to be in a hurry to break through.