Methane

Methane Latest News

A new study in NatureFood has found that India’s rice fields now rank among world’s top methane hotspots. 

About Methane

• It is a hydrocarbon that is a primary component of natural gas. 
• It is a potent greenhouse gas, responsible for about 30% of the global temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution.
• It is the primary component of natural gas and a byproduct of fossil fuel exploration.
• It is 86 times more efficient at trapping heat over a 20-year-period than carbon dioxide.
• Major Sources: The three major anthropogenic sources of methane emissions are  agriculture, energy, and waste sectors.

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Characteristics of Methane

• It is a colourless, odourless, and highly flammable gas, also known as marsh gas.
• It remains in the atmosphere for a shorter period — about 12 years — than carbon dioxide,
• It traps far more heat in the near term, making it a key driver of short-term climate change, contributing 28 times more to global warming than carbon dioxide for every tonne.

Source: TH