Methane | methane greenhouse gas
Methaneistheprimarycomponentofnaturalgas—acommonfuelsource.Whyareweconcernedaboutit?Ifmethaneleaksintotheairbeforebeingused—fromaleakypipe,forinstance—itabsorbsthesunsheat,warmingtheatmosphere.Forthisreason,itsconsideredagreenhousegas,likecarbondioxide.Whyisitascriticaltoaddressascarbondioxide?Inthefirsttwodecadesafteritsrelease,methaneis84timesmorepotentthancarbondioxide.Wemustaddressbothtypesofemissionsifwewanttoreducetheimpactofclimatechange.Whilemethanedoesntlingeraslongintheatmosphereas...
Methane is the primary component of natural gas — a common fuel source.
Why are we concerned about it?If methane leaks into the air before being used — from a leaky pipe, for instance — it absorbs the suns heat, warming the atmosphere. For this reason, its considered a greenhouse gas, like carbon dioxide.
Why is it as critical to address as carbon dioxide?In the first two decades after its release, methane is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide. We must address both types of emissions if we want to reduce the impact of climate change.
While methane doesnt linger as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, it is initially far more devastating to the climate because of how effectively it absorbs heat.
Because methane is so potent, and because we have solutions that reduce emissions, addressing methane is the fastest, most effective way to slow the rate of warming now.
Where is it coming from?Methane can come from many s...