Scientists say cut soot, methane to curb warming
A recent study published in the journal Science argues that scientists and policy-makers should refocus their attention on methane and soot in their efforts to curb global warming. In short, they argue that curbing methane and soot emissions are a more practical “quick-fix,” and focusing on them can free-up capital for more long-term solutions to carbon reduction.
Methane comes primarily from landfills, farms, drilling for natural gas, and coal mining. Soot, called black carbon by scientists, is a byproduct of burning and comes primarily from cook stoves using wood, dung and coal in developing countries and in some diesel fuels worldwide. Carbon dioxide is still considered the lead contributor to global warming, accounting for 48 percent of the phenomenon, while soot contributes 16 percent, and methane contributes 14 percent. Importantly, however, a molecule of methane or soot causes substantially more warming then a carbon dioxide molecule over a 20-year period. If certain measures were adopted, the scientists calculate that would reduce projected global warming by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit (0.5 degrees Celsius) by the year 2050. Without the measures, global average temperature is projected to rise nearly 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Celsius) in the next four decades.
