Humanity has done little to address climate change. Global emissions of carbon dioxide reached (another) all-time peak in 2010. The most recent international talks to craft a global treaty to address the problem pushed off major action until 2020. Fortunately, there’s an alternative—curbing the other greenhouse gases. An economic and scientific analysis published in January in the journal Science found that taking steps to curb methane and black carbon (otherwise known as soot) could improve air quality, human health and agricultural yields. Even better, the team found that implementing just 14 soot and methane emissions-control measures globally would deliver nearly 90 percent of the potential benefits. An extra bonus: the 14 steps also curb global warming by roughly 0.5 degree Celsius by 2050, according to computer modeling.

Both methane and black carbon remain in the atmosphere for a short time compared with CO₂. By some accounts, we could see an effect within weeks or months, rather than decades, as with CO₂ emissions. The methods that would immediately slow global warming include eliminating methane releases from coal mines by capturing the gas and burning it; eliminating the venting or accidental release of methane co-produced by oil and gas drilling; capturing the gas from landfills in the U.S. and China; and promoting the recycling and composting of biodegradable trash.

This doesn’t mean we wouldn’t have to deal with CO₂ emissions. By continuing to emit at present rates, we’d still be storing up future trouble. But starting with soot and methane would buy time and, perhaps even more important, significantly reduce the chances of catastrophic climate change.

This article was published in print as "Soot Soldiers."

2 Comments

1. 1. amalcr 02:48 PM 2/20/12

   Are you kidding? Even if you accomplished all your methane recapture it wouldn't affect one iota the effect of methane in the world. Termites give off methane as one of their byproducts. Termites outweigh all humans on this planet by 10 to 1. I would like to see how you would put recapture diapers on all the termites in the world. Your "computer modeling" is totally messed up....I would bet you didn't enter termites as a factor. Another SciAm author who didn't check his facts. It's the Sun, stupid!

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2. 2. h6davis in reply to amalcr 12:01 PM 3/12/12

   Good think amalcr is here to show us all how stupid we've been. Believe in the scientists whose job it is to do this work, HA! That's just what they'll be expecting!
   
   But to address your concern: global methane emissions from natural sources is approximately 208 Tg per year (that's teragrams, or 208 billion kg). This number does in fact include termites, which account for 20 Tg per year (about one tenth of total natural emissions).
   
   Global anthropogenic (human-derived) methane emissions are 358 Tg, which is in fact more than all the natural sources combined. Reducing this number would have a large impact on global climate. Check your own facts before you go criticizing others.
   
   Source: http://www.epa.gov/outreach/pdfs/Methane-and-Nitrous-Oxide-Emissions-From-Natural-Sources.pdf page 12-3

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