While 155 countries have committed to reducing methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 under the Global Methane Pledge, new research reveals that the world’s methane emissions have been rising at a record pace over the last five years.
At least two-thirds of methane emissions produced each year come from human activities like agriculture, fossil fuels, landfills and other waste, the Stanford Report said.
In a new perspective article published in Environmental Research Letters, the researchers warn this dire pattern “cannot continue if we are to maintain a habitable climate.” The article was published with corresponding figures in Earth System Science Data.
Both papers were produced by the Global Carbon Project, an initiative that tracks global greenhouse gas emissions and is chaired by Rob Jackson, a Stanford University scientist.
Concentrations of methane in the atmosphere have grown to more than 2.6 times what they were during pre-industrial times and the highest the planet has seen in 800,000-plus years.
“Right now, the goals of the Global Methane Pledge […]
Rarely do narratives that criticize the fossil fuel industry acknowledge that our world, and for many, the comforts of our lifestyles, stem from the numerous benefits of petroleum. Relinquishing these comforts and prosperity for the potential future benefits is a difficult proposition for many, even as climate change wreaks havoc. The fact is, carbon and methane have been released into the atmosphere. Even if we halted the entire economic system today, the air might clear at ground level, but methane—a greenhouse gas forty times more potent than CO2—would continue to outgas, breaking down over a century or more. CO2 may take several centuries to break down and be reabsorbed by the earth, plants, or oceans. Our situation is dire, and it requires us to collectively devise ways to adapt and survive while our planet, aided by advancing technologies and a united will, heals and stabilizes at a new equilibrium. This is a long-term, multigenerational commitment that goes beyond recycling and electric cars; it necessitates a shift in humanity from hyper-individualism to a collective concern for the welfare of all beings on our beautiful Earth.