In research, the team found that the amount of gas being flapped into the air was increasing at a very fast rate. This is bad news for our planet because methane warms the Earth. Scientists now say that something should be done about the problem immediately to avoid making climate change even worse.
What is Methane and Why is it a Problem?
Methane is a type of gas that can trap heat in the air. It’s a less famous time of another climate change-causing gas, carbon dioxide. That said, methane is actually much more powerful when it comes to warming the planet. In the first 20 years after methane hits the air, it can warm Earth 80 times more than carbon dioxide does. Where Does Methane Come From? Methane originates from many different places:
- When we extract oil and gas
- From farm animals like cows (they burp out methane)
- From the production of rice
- From wetlands, that area where the ground is soggy
- And the more the Earth heats up, the more methane is released from wet areas. A problem that keeps getting worse.
How Bad is the Situation?
The concentration of methane in the atmosphere has risen abruptly since about 2006. In recent years, the growth rate has been even higher. Scientists are concerned because it makes it even more difficult to prevent Earth from getting too warm.
What Can We Do About It?
Some countries are trying to band together and reduce methane. They have reached an agreement to slash methane by 30% by 2030. So far, however, not enough has been done. Only a minuscule portion of the Earth’s methane has been managed, and little has been spent for repairs.
Why the Methane Problem Needs to Be Fixed
Unlike CO2, methane does not persist in the atmosphere. If the world had turned off methane leakage in 2019, most of it would be gone within 30 years. That means tamping down on methane could cool the Earth more quickly than trying to slow carbon dioxide.
One scientist, Drew Shindell, said: “Methane is the strongest lever we can quickly pull to reduce warming between now and 2050. There’s just such a rapid response to cutting it. We’ve already seen the planet warm so much that if we are to avoid worse impacts we have to reduce methane. Reducing CO2 will protect our grandchildren – reducing methane will protect us now.”
What Needs to be Done
The scientists say we must: jointly reduce both methane and carbon dioxide; know the best way to mitigate methane in different contexts; measure methane better; set new policies to curtail methane; commit more money to METHANE MITIGATION.
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