Methane concentrations in Earth's atmosphere increased at record speed over the past five years. At least two-thirds of annual methane emissions now come from human activities, including fossil fuel use, agriculture, and landfills and other waste.
Methane concentrations in Earth's atmosphere increased at record speed over the past five years. At least two-thirds of annual methane emissions now come from human activities, including fossil fuel use, agriculture, and landfills and other waste.
Atmospheric concentrations of methane are now more than 2.6 times higher than in pre-industrial times -- the highest they've been in at least 800,000 years. Methane emission rates continue to rise along the most extreme trajectory used in emission scenarios by the world's leading climate scientists. Despite growing policy focus on methane, however, total annual methane emissions have increased by 61 million tons or 20% over the past two decades, according to the new estimates. Increases are being driven primarily by growth of emissions from coal mining, oil and gas production and use, cattle and sheep ranching, and decomposing food and organic waste in landfills.
Pandemic lockdowns in 2020 reduced transport-related emissions of nitrogen oxides , which typically worsen local air quality but prevent some methane from accumulating in the atmosphere. The temporary decline in NOx pollution accounts for about half of the increase in atmospheric methane concentrations that year -- illustrating the complex entanglements of air quality and climate change.
For instance, reservoirs built by people lead to an estimated 30 million tons of methane emitted per year, because newly submerged organic matter releases methane as it decomposes.
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