‘Exploding’ Lake Could Kill Millions Or Power The Country For 100 Years

The lake’s lethal combination of methane and carbon dioxide has residents fearing for their lives, but it’s also the country’s most vital and promising energy source.

Rwanda‘s Lake Kivu is one of the world’s three “exploding lakes” and is at serious risk of “overturn”, a process whereby huge amounts of carbon dioxide are released from under its surface, suffocating everyone in the surrounding areas. According to The Guardian, Rwandans are now systematically removing the gases from the lake in order to supply massive amounts of electricity to the country for the next 100 years. It’s not really a sustainable solution, but what the heck, Rwanda currently only supplies electricity to one in 14 houses.

The Guardian states: “Some scientists say that the ever-expanding volumes of carbon dioxide and methane in Lake Kivu, coupled with the nearby volcanic activity, make a limnic eruption (also referred to as a lake overturn, in which CO2 suddenly erupts from the lake) highly likely at some stage in the future unless degassing occurs. This has now begun with the extraction of some of the 60 billion cubic metres of methane in the water.”

Two lakes previous overturned in nearby Cameroon, which killed 1800 people. But Lake Kivu is 2000 times larger and thus presents a disaster threat of monstrous proportions, given that the area is also more densely populated.

No better description of a double-edged sword – give power to millions or let everyone die?

Images courtesy Nasa

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