"When it comes to global warming, carbon dioxide is the 800-pound gorilla: it’s the most abundant of the long-lived greenhouse gases that human activities generate. But ounce for ounce, methane (CH4) traps more heat, and it accounts for about 20% of the greenhouse gases produced by human activities. Strangely, though, global methane levels “flat lined” from 1999 to 2006.



Monthly methane concentrations (small circles) since 1983, with the running average as a solid line. NOAA Climate.gov graph, based on data from NOAA ESRL.

The plateau didn’t last, however, and in recent years, global methane levels have been hitting new highs. Figuring out what’s going on with methane is a high priority for carbon cycle experts at NOAA and other institutions around the world.  Possibly the most important clue: air samples collected at different latitudes around the world show that the amount of methane carrying carbon-13—a rare, heavy isotope of carbon—has dropped significantly since 2007."

"The carbon isotope analyses, carried out for NOAA by the Stable Isotope Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder's Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, are consistent with an increase in microbial emissions from both natural wetlands and agricultural sources.

Agricultural sources of methane include rice farming and belching from ruminant livestock. Rice farming depends on periodic flooding of growing areas. Drowned soils and animal stomachs favor species of microbes that can survive without oxygen. These microbes respire methane (CH4) instead of carbon dioxide (CO2).

With respect to geography, both sources are plausible. The world’s largest population of ruminant livestock is in India (Northern Hemisphere tropics), and other tropical countries in Africa and South America have large populations as well. Most rice cultivation takes place in the Northern tropics, in India, China, and Southeast Asia. The tropics of both hemispheres are home to the world’s largest wetlands."

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/after-2000-era-plate...

natural wetlands and tropical agriculture. Who woudda thunk.

Proudly brought to you by NOAA.

No one cares about methane: it turns into co2 anyway!

Jovial Monk wrote on Jul 21^st, 2017 at 5:31pm:

Basically,... I'm too scared to think about methane!

If we don't get the picture with co2 then we're a lost cause in my opinion: simple as that!

Expedient, but a prudently( relatively speaking of course  ) aware stratagem given the potential timing of events in my opinion even if I have To/may say so myself!

 

Jovial Monk wrote on Jul 21^st, 2017 at 5:59pm:

I might not even ask dad about it if it sounds that heavy!

Jovial Monk wrote on Jul 21^st, 2017 at 6:06pm:

]https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#nitrous-oxide

This article says 40% is made by mankind and there is no way you can reduce that to less than half I would assume. It only makes up 5% of the total ghgs,... and that is about as far as I got in five minutes( because I spent 90 percent of that time dealing with the he remaining ,ultimate spelling checkers guardians of the fake fascistintentnet chat sites parading as democracy  )

Grendel wrote on Jul 21^st, 2017 at 6:20pm:

Is Grendel being vague for any particular reason?



We all know the overpaid cfos of this world get paid for walking 'round the boring board room (Iggy pop had a song about that I thinks  )like their shite don't stink just like their Nazi dads taught em to!

Tropical soils are probably the single most important source of N2O to the atmosphere (Prather et al., 1995), and intensification of tropical agriculture is likely to increase this (Matson & Vitousek, 1990). The current IPCC (1995) estimate for N2O emissions from tropical soils is 4Mt/a (nitrogen), 75% from wet forests soils and 25% from dry savannahs. Temperate soil sources (including forest soils and grasslands) have been estimated at about 2Mt/a. The Earth's oceans are significant sources of N2O. Emissions may be larger than previously estimated (Law & Owen, 1990), accounting for 3Mt/a.

Anthropogenic sources may account for about 40% of total N2O emissions (5.7Mt/a). These include cultivated soils, biomass burning and industrial sources (e.g. nylon production). Total source emissions (natural and anthropogenic) are currently estimated at 14.7Mt/a ( 3.5Mt/a).

http://www.global-climate-change.org.uk/6-4-3-1.php

Natural? From tropical sources? Oceans? Oh dear.

about 40% not natural.

didn’t mention rising emissions N2O at the poles.