Fossil fuel may produce more methane than thought
New research suggests that the use of fossil fuels may produce somewhere between 25 and 40 percent more methane then originally thought. The total amount of methane released from geologic sources is upwards of 170 teragrams. Studies of ice cores suggest that natural seeps were accountable for a very small sum of methane in the atmosphere, meaning the modern human activities are responsible for the methane. The only good thing is that from this scientists may be able to pinpoint what areas produce the greatest amount of methane, and methane stays in the atmosphere far shorter than carbon dioxide and more warming than CO2, meaning that if we were to lessen methane produced, we would see more immediate effects.
While it is scary to see the large sum of methane present in the atmosphere, it is at least somewhat encouraging to know that it could be more helpful in the short term. If when scientists locate the places where the methane is primarily being produced, and whoever is producing it makes some effort to cutback, then we can see a sooner change in the environment. If methane emissions were to be lessened, I wouldn't be surprised if in a handful of years later people would think the atmosphere is fine again and continue with what is the norm, and we'd just have a brief period of an environmentally stable atmosphere, then back to what it is now, if not maybe worse.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fossil-fuel-use-may-emit-more-methane-than-thought
While it is scary to see the large sum of methane present in the atmosphere, it is at least somewhat encouraging to know that it could be more helpful in the short term. If when scientists locate the places where the methane is primarily being produced, and whoever is producing it makes some effort to cutback, then we can see a sooner change in the environment. If methane emissions were to be lessened, I wouldn't be surprised if in a handful of years later people would think the atmosphere is fine again and continue with what is the norm, and we'd just have a brief period of an environmentally stable atmosphere, then back to what it is now, if not maybe worse.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fossil-fuel-use-may-emit-more-methane-than-thought
While it's important now that there is more information about how much methane is being produced; its disappointing that people are only now considering it a big problem. I agree that if the condition of the atmosphere were to be restored we would probably only ruin it again later.
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