Greenhouse gases

"Methane was produced naturally in wetlands, but was also released from industry from natural gas systems and in the production of livestock."

....and not from the Arctic Ocean and the melting permafrost??

Greenhouse gases: Too much emphasis on Carbon dioxide impact; more needed on ozone, methane, scientists say

ABC,

20 October, 2014

There is too much emphasis on carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas and other forms such as ozone, methane and sulphur dioxide should receive more attention, a group of scientists say.

Writing a comment piece in the science journal Nature, the group argued that other forms of air pollutants contributed to one in eight deaths worldwide, and nearly 50 million deaths could be avoided by 2040 if emissions were cut in half.

Other types of pollutants, such as methane, had a higher global warming potential when compared to carbon dioxide, they said.

Methane was produced naturally in wetlands, but was also released from industry from natural gas systems and in the production of livestock.

Dr Julia Schmale, from Germany's Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies, said gases and particles came from many different sources.

"Generally speaking, black carbon comes from combustion sources," Dr Schmale said.

"Ozone is produced chemically in the atmosphere, which is why it's very hard to control," she said.

More emphasis on role of gases in climate change

Dr Schmale said while the pollutants had not been ignored, more emphasis should be placed on the role they played in climate change.

"Within the context of combating climate change, they have received much less attention," Dr Schmale said.

"Only in the recent three years, after reports from the United Nations environmental program came out, these so-called climate forcing pollutants have gained much more attention and this is why there is much more debate on it right now."

The scientists argued that small improvements could be made to remove the particles – such as from black carbon – from entering the atmosphere.

Dr Schmale pointed to recent programs developed within the United Nations.

"For example, install particle filters for cars," she said.

"You can prevent leakages from pipelines when you think about methane, you can capture methane emissions from landfills or waste water treatment and actually convert it into an alternative energy source.

"To reduce many of these pollutants and then also to reduce these climate forces like carbon dioxide at the same time, is that we reduce consumption or do not burn as many fossil or biogenic fuels anymore.

"So that means that we need to change our behaviour a little bit."

The article has been published in the journal Nature today.