Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is a major culprit in the changing climate, especially global warming. Attention has been on carbon for a while due to the role it plays in heating up the atmosphere and causing extreme weather events.
However, carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas that heats up the atmosphere. Methane and nitrous oxide are two other greenhouse gases that are beginning to gain attention due to the role they also play in global warming.
In fact, while carbon dioxide accounts for 76 % of all greenhouse gas emissions, methane ranks second with 16% while nitrous oxide ranks third with 6%.
These three gases all have different heating potentials and lifespans in the atmosphere but have a huge impact in terms of the warming they cause.
Why then isn’t the world looking at reducing human-caused methane and nitrous oxide emissions to meet emissions targets and reduce global warming?
If these emissions are addressed, it could play a significant role in the world meeting the below 1.5 degrees Celsius warming goal.
A look at methane and nitrous oxide
Methane is a major component of natural gas and its chemical composition is CH4. It can stay in the atmosphere for about a decade and has about 28 to 36 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide in over 100 years.
The energy sector (especially fossil fuel) and agriculture sector are currently the greatest sources of human-caused methane emissions.
The concentration of atmospheric methane has grown by 150% according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and from all indications, might have been responsible for global warming in the past.
On the other hand, nitrous oxide, while its total emissions are a fraction of those of carbon dioxide and methane, remains a powerful greenhouse gas that remains in the atmosphere for over 100 years on average.
Human-caused nitrous oxide emissions have risen by 30% over the past four decades due to the nitrogen fertilizer being added to crop fields. This influences the amount of nitrous oxide that is emitted into the atmosphere.
What this means from the agricultural aspect is that, as food demand increases, so also will nitrous oxide emissions.
Reducing emissions to meet targets
Methane
To reduce human-caused methane emissions in the agriculture sector, stakeholders must turn to technological innovations.
For instance, solutions like methane vaccine, breeding animals that produce less methane, or adding seaweed into the animal feed, are being developed.
This will go a long way in reducing emissions since rearing livestock contributes to about a third of human-caused methane emissions.
Also, methane emissions can be reduced by cutting the global demand for animal products. This may not be a feasible approach, especially for developing countries that survive on livestock.
To reduce human-caused methane from the energy sector, especially the oil and gas industry, stakeholders can explore methane capture and resale. It can be used for heating buildings or cooking.
Also, policies limiting gas flaring as well as requiring companies to repair infrastructure during gas leaks could be developed to limit methane emissions from this sector.
Nitrous oxide
One of the effective ways to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from the agriculture sector is through the targeted application of nitrogen fertilizer in fields. There are organic nitrogen fertilizers and organic manure that can be used.
When agricultural nitrous oxide emissions are reduced, it prevents stratospheric ozone depletion and helps the world meet low warming targets.
Conclusion
Taking global action to reduce the greenhouse gases (carbon, methane and nitrous oxide) that endanger the atmosphere will not be easy, but with the planet in mind and the targets we hope to meet, it is a cause that we all should prioritize. This is not only for our sake but for the sake of generations to come.
