Human activity caused the long-term growth of greenhouse gas methane

Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO2). Its concentration in the atmosphere has increased more than twice since the preindustrial era due to enhanced emissions from human activities. While the global warming potential of CH4 is 86 times as large as that of CO2 over 20 years, it remains in the atmosphere for about 10 years, a much briefer span than CO2, which can remain in the atmosphere for centuries. It is therefore expected that emission control of CH4 could have beneficial effects over a relatively short time period and contribute quickly to the Paris Agreement target to limit the global warming well below 2 degrees.

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