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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: 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.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(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.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.