Efforts to prevent the release of deadly clouds of toxic gas from two African lakes appear to be failing.

According to George Kling at the University of Michigan, US, unless urgent action is taken there is a real risk of a repeat of the tragic events of the 1980s when the lakes Nyos and Monoun in Cameroon suddenly released huge clouds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, killing 1800 people.

The dissolved gas is created by volcanic activity beneath the lakes and can gradually build up to dangerous levels before suddenly being released…

(I think I touched on the first one in an episode of GLOBAL FREQUENCY?)