Why The Epa Is Addressing Methane The Other Greenhouse Gas Science With the 26th annual international climate summit (cop26) underway in glasgow, u.k., methane is basking in the spotlight. the potent heat trapping molecule was once a footnote in discussions about climate change, largely because it breaks down much faster and is less abundant in the atmosphere than the more notorious greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (co 2). Methane (ch 4) is a hydrocarbon that is a primary component of natural gas. methane is also a greenhouse gas (ghg), so its presence in the atmosphere affects the earth’s temperature and climate system. methane is emitted from a variety of anthropogenic (human influenced) and natural sources. anthropogenic emission sources include landfills.
Overview Of Greenhouse Gases Us Epa The epa plans to propose a rule in 2025 that will tackle methane emissions from landfills, one of the country's largest sources of the greenhouse gas. The epa on aug. 29 unveiled a proposal to from the oil and gas industry. said the rollback will worsen climate change and air quality. reaction from , with some arguing the limits are unnecessary. In 2007, the amount of methane in the atmosphere (ch 4) began to rise after a 7 year period of near zero growth (1). recent research shows that a second step change occurred in 2014 (2). from 2014 to at least the end of 2018, the amount of ch 4 in the atmosphere increased at nearly double the rate observed since 2007 (see the figure). Methane is of concern because it has an outsized impact on the climate. the gas makes up a tiny fraction of our atmosphere — co 2 levels are more than 200 times higher. but in the first 20 years.
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