https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00312-2
"Methane concentrations in the atmosphere raced past 1,900 parts per billion
last year, nearly triple pre-industrial levels, according to data released in
January by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Scientists says the grim milestone underscores the importance of a pledge made
at last year’s COP26 climate summit to curb emissions of methane, a greenhouse
gas at least 28 times as potent as carbon dioxide.
The growth of methane emissions slowed around the turn of the millennium, but
began a rapid and mysterious uptick around 2007. The spike has caused many
researchers to worry that global warming is creating a feedback mechanism that
will cause ever more methane to be released, making it even harder to rein in
rising temperatures.
“Methane levels are growing dangerously fast,” says Euan Nisbet, an Earth
scientist at Royal Holloway, University of London, in Egham, UK. The emissions,
which seem to have accelerated in the past few years, are a major threat to the
world’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5–2°C over pre-industrial
temperatures, he says."
Via 99.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
