The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported 2021 was the second year in a row in which a record increase in methane in the atmosphere was observed.
Methane comes after only carbon dioxide as the biggest contributor to climate change caused by humans, according to an April 7 NOAA release.
“Reducing methane emissions is an important tool we can use right now to lessen the impacts of climate change in the near term and rapidly reduce the rate of warming,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said, according to the release. “Let’s not forget that methane also contributes to ground-level ozone formation, which causes roughly 500,000 premature deaths each year around the world.”
The increase observed by NOAA was 17 parts per billion — the largest recorded increase — according to the release.
Carbon dioxide emissions have a cumulative effect, Pieter Tans, senior scientist with the Global Monitoring Laboratory said, according to the release. He said approximately 40 percent of Ford Model ET emissions from 1911 remain in the air. The world is halfway to doubling how much carbon dioxide was in the atmosphere at the start of the Industrial Revolution, he said.
“Our data show that global emissions continue to move in the wrong direction at a rapid pace. The evidence is consistent, alarming and undeniable,” Spinrad said, according to the release. "We need to build a Climate Ready Nation to adapt for what’s already here and prepare for what’s to come. At the same time, we can no longer afford to delay urgent and effective action needed to address the cause of the problem — greenhouse gas pollution.”
