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from the do-not-your-part-to-help-reduce-CO2 dept.
Methane emitted by humans vastly underestimated:
University of Rochester researchers Benjamin Hmiel, a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Vasilii Petrenko, a professor of earth and environmental sciences, and their collaborators, measured methane levels in ancient air samples and found that scientists have been vastly underestimating the amount of methane humans are emitting into the atmosphere via fossil fuels. In a paper published in Nature, the researchers indicate that reducing fossil fuel use is a key target in curbing climate change.
[...] Methane is the second largest anthropogenic -- originating from human activity -- contributor to global warming, after carbon dioxide. But, compared to carbon dioxide, as well as other heat-trapping gases, methane has a relatively short shelf-life; it lasts an average of only nine years in the atmosphere, while carbon dioxide, for instance, can persist in the atmosphere for about a century. That makes methane an especially suitable target for curbing emission levels in a short time frame.
"If we stopped emitting all carbon dioxide today, high carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere would still persist for a long time," Hmiel says. "Methane is important to study because if we make changes to our current methane emissions, it's going to reflect more quickly."
[...] In order to more accurately separate the natural and anthropogenic components, Hmiel and his colleagues turned to the past, by drilling and collecting ice cores from Greenland. The ice core samples act like time capsules: they contain air bubbles with small quantities of ancient air trapped inside. The researchers use a melting chamber to extract the ancient air from the bubbles and then study its chemical composition.
Hmiel's research focused on measuring the composition of air from the early 18th century -- before the start of the Industrial Revolution -- to the present day. Humans did not begin using fossil fuels in significant amounts until the mid-19th century. Measuring emission levels before this time period allows researchers to identify the natural emissions absent the emissions from fossil fuels that are present in today's atmosphere. There is no evidence to suggest natural fossil methane emissions can vary over the course of a few centuries.
[...] By measuring the carbon-14 isotopes in air from more than 200 years ago, the researchers found that almost all of the methane emitted to the atmosphere was biological in nature until about 1870. That's when the fossil component began to rise rapidly. The timing coincides with a sharp increase in the use of fossil fuels.
The levels of naturally released fossil methane are about 10 times lower than previous research reported. Given the total fossil emissions measured in the atmosphere today, Hmiel and his colleagues deduce that the manmade fossil component is higher than expected -- 25-40 percent higher, they found.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Bot on Friday March 06 2020, @02:37PM (2 children)
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50708544 [bbc.com]
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by nobu_the_bard on Friday March 06 2020, @03:53PM (1 child)
The article linked by Bot talks about a possible cause of the methane increases, it's interesting.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 06 2020, @09:00PM
nobu_the_bard as interface shim between bot and SN. who'd a thunk it?
Perhaps we could generalize that like NDIS [wikipedia.org] or packet drivers [wikipedia.org]?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday March 06 2020, @02:40PM (8 children)
If methane goes the fuck away by itself, doesn't that make it a rather shitty target compared to stuff that's going to stick around being a problem for longer than you are?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by choose another one on Friday March 06 2020, @02:55PM (7 children)
Unfortunately while it is short stay, it is also awfully effective while it is around - about 80 times better at trapping heat than CO2.
It also ought to be pretty trivial to turn it into CO2 (and water) rather than release into the atmosphere - just burn it rather than release it raw.
The likely problem is going to be identifying where exactly it's coming from, it ain't cows (the usual scapegoat) because there were plenty of them back before the industrial revolution and postulating evolution of a completely new way of bovine farting inside two hundred years would be a bit of a stretch even for the climate change zealots.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 06 2020, @03:03PM (1 child)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fart_lighting [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by DannyB on Friday March 06 2020, @10:38PM
If that effectively deals with the human-methane problem, then it should be mandated into law.
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Arik on Friday March 06 2020, @03:32PM (4 children)
Not that I think the answer is as simple as that, but this point isn't sound. There are a lot more cows around now, to feed a much larger human population. Cattle didn't reach their peak population until the 1970s. And the cows themselves are different as well; most obviously, they're considerably larger. They have a very different diet and lifestyle.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 3, Touché) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday March 06 2020, @03:42PM (3 children)
Erm... Buffalo used to roam the great plains in herds numbering in the millions. It's quite possible your assumption is wrong.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by dry on Friday March 06 2020, @05:27PM (2 children)
Buffalo weren't fed grains and corn to fatten them up and may have a different process for digesting grass.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 06 2020, @05:42PM (1 child)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruminant [wikipedia.org]
It once was that the flock was forbidden to read the Bible; their duty was to listen to what priest says, and Have Faith. Seems the nice medieval idea enjoys a glorious comeback.
(Score: 2) by dry on Friday March 06 2020, @06:34PM
From your link,
Note that most of those on the list do not put out large amounts of methane. Quickly looking, I can't find much info on Bison besides that they also eat shrubbery.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 06 2020, @03:01PM (1 child)
This post is for the drunk fool to bitch about them mexicans.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 06 2020, @03:10PM
No, it is obviously for OldFart
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Friday March 06 2020, @03:16PM
But enough about your mom
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Friday March 06 2020, @03:38PM (10 children)
When I read "methane emitted by humans" I was expecting more "pull my finger" and other fart jokes. And how a healthy diet high in plant matter like beans and fake meat was contributing to global warming.
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday March 06 2020, @03:43PM (1 child)
Yeah, I was disappointed too.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2, Touché) by shrewdsheep on Friday March 06 2020, @04:09PM
Why? Maybe no fart jokes, but still a lot of gassing.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday March 06 2020, @03:44PM (1 child)
Oh, I assure you, meat eaters have plenty of gaseous discharge.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday March 06 2020, @03:53PM
Also, if you're going to eat meat. Make sure it's the good stuff.
https://www.foxnews.com/health/taco-bell-sued-over-meat-thats-just-35-percent-beef [foxnews.com]
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Friday March 06 2020, @05:53PM
I've found that, with me at least, a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables (especially vegetables) increases methane emissions by a huge amount.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by sjames on Friday March 06 2020, @07:55PM (4 children)
I have to admit I at least half expected a horror story about taco Tuesday from a cube dweller.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Friday March 06 2020, @08:51PM (3 children)
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by DannyB on Friday March 06 2020, @10:41PM (2 children)
That is not nesecelery true [milk.com] as this example illustrates.
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Saturday March 07 2020, @01:05AM (1 child)
The real Mr Bean, I presume :-)
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday March 09 2020, @02:40PM
I first came across that tidbit in the 1990s. I'm surprised it was still there.
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Friday March 06 2020, @03:57PM
From pigshit, er, human shit cometh methane....
ok. embargo lifted...
This sig for rent.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday March 06 2020, @05:01PM
she says her 'emissions' smell like roses.
I'd say 'dead roses', maybe! ;)
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 06 2020, @05:37PM
Just more example of how fear-mongering based on bad climate models is wrong still!
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday March 06 2020, @06:52PM (5 children)
Vegans emit far more methane than meat-eaters. It's the roughage, you see.
Maybe we can keep them in pens and affix balloons to them that inflate as they break wind. The captured methane can be used for cooking, heating, or generating electricity.
You gotta think full circle if we're gonna save the environment.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday March 06 2020, @06:59PM (4 children)
The Blacks have prior art on your Jenkem idea, son.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday March 06 2020, @07:25PM (3 children)
Christ, how do you even know about such things?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday March 06 2020, @07:50PM (2 children)
I am literally seeing baby-boomers with Q stickers on their cars, I've seen probably three spanning a distance of 60 miles throughout the metropolitan area. Where did they learn about such things?
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday March 06 2020, @08:11PM (1 child)
Q stickers are explainable--people who are interested in conspiracies know what that is. Jenka, though, I cannot imagine where a person would learn about something so vile. Do you read threads like, "Hey, what's the grossest thing you've ever heard of?"
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday March 06 2020, @08:22PM
I learned about Jenkem by watching Pinnochio, there was a black cricket named Jiminy Jenkem who was leading Pinocchio into all kinds of trouble and introducing him to blunts and shit. It finally took Jesus Christ to strike Pinocchio dead by drowning to eliminate Jiminy Jenkem's bad influence. Typical Satanic Disney movie for sure.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 07 2020, @01:48AM
I ate too many tacos last night