By Jeremy Deaton, Nexus Media
Highlights
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that the greenhouse gas methane has reached all-time high levels in the atmosphere, threatening Paris Agreement climate goals.
- Methane is about 80 times more potent than CO2 and has been increasing its presence in the atmosphere for the last 20 years
- In 2019, the concentration of atmospheric methane reached nearly 1875 parts per billion, the highest level since record-keeping began in 1983
- The primary source of methane are wetlands where microbes excrete the gas
- One human-caused source of pollution is large livestock farms where sheep and cows burp out methane
- For the short-term, leaking oil wells can be plugged
- Oil and gas firms could cut down methane emissions by nearly half if they invested in equipment that captures the leaking gas, but these firms would rather invest in new oil drilling sites in order to make more profits
The transition to 100% clean energy and electrification are a key to achieving the goals of The Climate Center’s Climate-Safe California Platform.
Read more: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/methane-levels-reach-an-all-time-high/
Nina Turner
Energy Programs and Communications CoordinatorJanina is a graduate of the Energy Management and Design program at Sonoma State University with experience in non-profits that specialize in sustainability and volunteerism.
