Methane is a potent greenhouse gas...let's read here!!!
Methane is a significantly more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, absorbing a lot more energy while in the atmosphere but having a much shorter atmospheric lifetime (around 12 years compared to centuries for CO2).
Like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane is a potent greenhouse gas, estimated to be responsible for more than 40% of recent global warming. However, methane has an atmospheric lifetime of about 12 years, which is much shorter than CO2. This means that if methane emissions are reduced, it could have a quicker effect on slowing global warming than CO2.
Methane gas is released into the atmosphere from many human activities. Farming, landfills, wastewater disposal, and the production and distribution of fossil fuels are the biggest sources of methane emissions. They account for about 60% of global methane emissions, while the remaining 40% comes from natural sources.
Methane also contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone in the air, which is a dangerous air pollutant. Most people know that the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere protects us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays and efforts have been made for decades to protect this layer. But the ozone that is released over the ground can be very harmful. According to a recent report, about 1 million people die early each year from exposure to harmful ground-level ozone, 24,000 of them in the european Union.
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