Scientists may have figured out why a potent greenhouse gas is rising. The answer is scary

The culprits are tiny organisms that live in cows' stomachs, among other places. (Image: Luke Stackpoole, Unsplash)

Sun, 10 Nov 2024

By Shannon OsakaAlmost two decades ago, the atmosphere’s levels of methane – a dangerous greenhouse gas that is over 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide in the short term – started to climb. And climb.Methane concentrations, which had been stable for years, soared by 5 or 6 parts per billion every year from 2007 onward. Then, in 2020, the growth rate nearly doubled.Scientists were baffled – and concerned. Methane is the big question mark hanging over the world’s climate estimates.Although it breaks down in the atm...

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