In addition to carbon dioxide, there are now two other worrisome greenhouse gases on the rise.  The two gases, methane and nitrogen trifluoride, contribute less to climate change.  However, since neither are included in the usual equations that predict future impacts to the atmosphere, increases are of concern.

Methane comes from landfills, natural gas, coal mining, animal waste and decaying plants.  The decaying plants have mostly been frozen for thousands of years, trapped in permafrost and in the ocean floor.  As the Arctic warms, the billions of tons of methane are thawing out and being released into the atmosphere.

Al Gore is asking us to go for 100% clean electricity within a decade.  That would mean using no coal.  Currently, 50% of US electricity comes from coal.  So, were we to eliminate coal from the energy equation, we'd have a bit of work to do as a nation (not counting fighting those who would benefit from staying with coal). 

A. Siegel, commenter at Firedoglake and a founder of "Energize America", has a plan to get us to a coal-free electrical system by 2030 - and improve the economy at the same time.  In fact, he takes us over the goal line with room to spare, using what he calls the portfolio approach.  Here's the outline of the plan with the strategy and the amount of current electricity usage it would address:

Scientists have talked for years about the potentially devastating release of millions of tons of underground stores of methane into the atmosphere as the Arctic region becomes warmer.  Apparently, it has begun.

The Independent UK is reporting that this year's melting in the Arctic has caused the release of millions of tons of methane.  The gas, which is 20 times more damaging than carbon dioxide, is bubbling to the surface as the ice retreats and the Arctic region becomes warmer.

The Arctic region as a whole has seen a dramatic decline in the area of the Arctic Ocean covered by summer ice and a 4C rise is average temperatures.  Because the open ocean soaks up more heat from the sun than ice does, many scientists are concerned that the warming trend will be accelerated. 

Whenever we think of China in relationship to greenhouse gas emissions, we tend to think "major polluter" or "not doing their part (so why should we do ours?)".  It might be time to revisit that stereotype and remember that this is the country that put on an Olympics that other nations will have to try to live up to for decades to come and this is a China that will be next to put men on the moon.

ENN has an article that lays out how China is really doing on combatting climate change and reining in their use of energy.  As Tom Schueneman, the writer of the article says:

Most of us only pay attention to the national electrical grid when there is a huge blackout that covers several states, such as the one we had back in 2003 which shut down power to 8 states and 1 province. 

Al Gore and others who are thinking ahead about what we need to do tell us that there are two overarching things we need to do as quickly as possible to have any chance of combating horrendous climate change.  One is to implement a cap-and-trade program, which is what Washington State and other western states and provinces are doing with the Western Climate Initiative, due to begin being implemented in 2012.  The other is the upgrading of the national grid.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a northeastern state version of the upcoming Western Climate Initiative due in 2012, has begun quite successfully.  Six of the ten states involved held the first of their quarterly carbon allowance auctions last Thursday and sold all 12.5 million carbon allowances on auction. 

In the sealed online auction Thursday, the buyers, primarily utilities, paid $3.07 per ton of excess emissions, and all 12.5 million carbon allowances were sold, the initiative reported.

In an article in the Washington Post today, reporter Robin Shulman stated that the earnings from the auction will be split among the six participating states, based on the number of allowances they had.