Methane Leaks Erase Some of the Climate Benefits of Natural Gas
The switch from coal to gas has driven down CO2 emissions, but leaks negate much of those gains in the short term
By Benjamin Storrow, E&E News, 5/5/2020
Increase in atmospheric methane set another record during 2021
For the second year in a row, NOAA scientists observed a record annual increase in atmospheric levels of methane, a powerful, heat-trapping greenhouse gas that’s the second biggest contributor to human-caused global warming after carbon dioxide.
NOAA’s preliminary analysis showed the annual increase in atmospheric methane during 2021 was 17 parts per billion (ppb), the largest annual increase recorded since systematic measurements began in 1983.
Meanwhile, levels of carbon dioxide also continue to increase at historically high rates. The global surface average for carbon dioxide during 2021 was 414.7 parts per million (ppm), which is an increase of 2.66 ppm over the 2020 average