We are so screwed.

It's about permafrost - the thawing permafrost scientists haven't previously taken into account. What it means is that global warming is much, much worse than we thought. I'm quoting a Reuters article entitled, "Thawing permafrost could unleash tons of carbon":

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ancient roots and bones locked in long-frozen soil in Siberia are starting to thaw, and have the potential to unleash billions of tones of carbon and accelerate global warming, scientists said on Thursday.

This vast carbon reservoir, contained in permafrost soil in northeastern Siberia, contains about 75 times more carbon than the amount released into the atmosphere each year by the burning of fossil fuels, the researchers said in a statement.
...
As the Siberian permafrost thaws, it will release the carbon contained in old grass roots and buried animal bones into the atmosphere, in what could be an unstoppable contributor to global climate change, according to the researchers.

Earlier climate models may have failed to account for this possible component of global warming...

"You have anthropogenic (human-generated) carbon that's making things a little bit warmer, and that causes the permafrost to warm up and carbon is then released from the permafrost," [ecologist Ted Schuur] said. "It goes into the atmosphere and makes things warmer yet again, so then more permafrost thaws."

We just have to face the fact that we're probably headed for extinction fairly soon. That's a grim thought, I know, but that's what seems to be happening. There have been great extinctions before in the history of the earth and it can certainly happen again.

UPDATE: Frank Ford just sent me an article about a heat wave in Toronto. You know, they don't have much air conditioning up there. The Red Cross is driving around handing out bottles of water to try to encourage people to stay hydrated. Here's an excerpt from the Toronto Star article:

The Red Cross heat information line was busy with inquiries about how to keep cool. "We quite often have to tell people how to use a fan," said volunteer Kathy Ross-Waugh, explaining that a window needs to be open so air can circulate.

Toronto Public Health is planning to launch a program this month encouraging landlords whose buildings are not air conditioned to implement a hot-weather protection plan.

If the heat continues today, the Red Cross plans to set up cooling stations around the city.

This is really very alarming.