Danger, coastal mangroves are exploding!
The Caribbean corridor of Mexico’s Eastern tourist shoreline, the Riviera Maya, is in real and present danger…there is now evidence to indicate that the owners of hotels along Quintana Roo´s coastline were either unaware or neglected to take into consideration the potential for methane gas to be stored in mangrove habitats underneath their hotel developments, although it is a criminal offence to fill in a mangrove in Mexico, this entire coastline was built above these bodies. Over time, mangrove rich environments that have been enclosed and filled for the purpose of development have become a ticking time bomb that is producing a buildup of natural methane gas. Methane gas is highly flammable and combustible and with the addition of heat and the right amount of oxygen, an explosion will occur. Quintana Roo´s warmer climate and high temperatures promotes an increased percentage of falling leaf litter and organic matter degradation. This leads to increased production and emissions of methane from the subsurface to the atmosphere. This ecological process of methane production is occurring as you read this, not just in open mangrove environments, but underneath these existing hotels. In the past 3 years 3 hotels have had methane gas explosions where 5 Canadian tourist and 2 local workers have been killed. Hundreds have been hurt. The news action reporters on the scene have been beaten up. The last 2 explosions were just in the last few months.
And the Princess Hotel, another Spanish development, has continued renting to the public…
Since the government is covering up this real and deadly problem, it is important that people let them know that it is a wrong decision. If in garbage dumps, there are pipes installed to let out the methane gas, then would it not work also under the hotels??
