The summer of 2023 was the hottest ever recorded on Earth. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from burning fossil fuels are the main causes behind climate change, and scientists say they must be controlled. But there's another greenhouse gas to deal with: methane. Tackling it may be the best bet for putting the brakes on rising temperatures in the short term. That's because it's relatively short-lived in the atmosphere—methane lasts about 12 years, while CO2 can stick around for hundreds of years.
We already have strategies for cutting methane emissions—fixing natural gas leaks (methane is the main component of natural gas), removing coal gradually (mining operations release methane), eating less meat and dairy products (cows burp lots of methane) and electrifying transportation and appliances. Implementing all existing strategies could slow global warming by 30 percent over the next decade, research has shown.
But some climate scientists, including Jackson, say we need to go further. Scientists want to develop ways to remove methane directly from the air. Most ideas are still in early research stages. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is currently studying these potential technologies, their state of readiness and possible risks, and what further research and funding are needed. Some of the approaches include re-engineering bacteria that are already good at eating methane and developing reactors in methane-rich places to chemically transform the gas.
"Methane is a sprint (短跑) and CO2 is a marathon," says Desirée Plata, a civil and environmental engineer at MIT. "While methane emissions are a significant contributor to climate change, carbon dioxide emissions remain the primary driver. Therefore, we must continue to pursue strategies to reduce CO2 emissions while also targeting methane reduction." For scientists focused on removing greenhouse gases, it's off to the races.
