Global methane emissions increased last year by the largest amount since humans started measuring greenhouse gasses, a new government report said. Carbon dioxide can remain in the atmosphere for centuries, methane only lasts for roughly 9 years.
The concentration of methane floating in the atmosphere reached 17 parts per billion in 2021, surpassing the previous record high of 15.3 parts per billion set in 2020. Although it is a short-lived pollutant, it has very severe effects on the warming of the atmosphere, and the ability of the atmosphere to remove Methane is going down, an increase in wastelands and mining for minerals and petroleum is contributing to emissions.
“I’ve been covering methane emissions for years, and both scientists and policymakers tell me cutting methane emissions is one of the most effective ways to quickly combat climate change because of the gas’s potency and short atmospheric life,” McKenna told me.
What is clear, however, is that research shows that there are areas decision-makers can target to quickly reduce methane emissions. Last November, during the COP26 global climate talks, more than 100 nations, including the United States, pledged to cut global methane emissions by 30 percent or more by 2030.
A CSR Initiative of
Designed and Executed by
Implemented by
Technology is a useful servant, but a dangerous master, it was rightly said. Electronic devices have grown into an inevitable part of our daily lives.
