PENNSYLVANIA, USA — A recent report from Climate Central continues to emphasize the importance of reducing methane emissions across the U.S.
Carbon dioxide is the biggest contributor, but at least 30% of current global warming is due to human-caused emissions of methane.
Methane emissions sources in the United States include energy, agriculture and waste.
Climate Central says methane’s significance stems from two key characteristics: how much heat it traps and how long it lasts in the atmosphere.
Methane traps over 80 times more heat than the same amount of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period but breaks down far more quickly compared to carbon dioxide.
“It does not last as long in the atmosphere, only about 12 years, whereas carbon lasts for centuries,” said Lauren Casey, a meteorologist with Climate Central. "So methane is actually producing a great near-term opportunity to reduce warming in the atmosphere if we take certain steps."
Climate Central says because the gas has a high heat-trapping potential during its lifetime, cutting emissions can help to slow warming in the near term.
Efforts are already underway in agriculture to capture and use methane from waste. They also indicated another opportunity to continue cutting down on emissions through fine-tuning oil and gas production by repairing leaks or by capturing gas vented during normal operations.
For the full methane report and more information from Climate Central, click here.