In @NMNH's panel on vicious #climate cycles, I was asked why permafrost is important. Here I'll give my top reasons from carbon to caribou. #1 For millenia, permafrost has been Earth's freezer for ancient C. Permafrost stores more C than global forests; on par w/ fossil fuels. 1/ 
Reason #2. Permafrost is the backbone of the Arctic. Thaw can trigger sinking or erosion that kills vegetation & makes ground dangerous for travel. The loss of frozen ground means the loss of stability. Travel routes, hunting grounds, animal migration - all unreliable w/ thaw. 2/
Reason #3. If permafrost is the backbone, rivers are the arteries of the Arctic. As permafrost (frozen ground) thaws, rivers are changing in shape, temperature, nutrients, & types of fish. New obstacles threaten boating routes. Water is life. 3/
Reason #4. Permafrost is a contaminant trap. From mercury to arsenic, there is more stored in permafrost than just carbon. As contaminants travel north via atmospheric circulation, they can bind to organic compounds & then get locked away in frozen ground. scientificamerican.com/article/the-ar…
#5. Arctic physical & social infrastructure relies on permafrost. Despite incredible cold region engineering/design, rapid thaw is causing homes to tilt, roads & runways to buckle. This is not a future drill. This is NOW for the ~6 million people living across the Arctic. 5/
#6. When I think of the Arctic, I think of caribou and their importance to Arctic culture. Caribou have incredible migrations & more incredibly (to me) survive on lichen as a primary food source year-round. Permafrost provides the stable land needed for lichen and for caribou. 6/
For all of these reasons, as permafrost continues to thaw, we all lose. Want to help permafrost & the Arctic? If we decarbonize our economy, we will keep some permafrost frozen & its carbon in the ground where it is #climate safe. #ClimateEmergency 7/7
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