Methane & Carbon Dioxide: A Closer Look at the Numbers

Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a measure of how much heat is absorbed over a given time period due to emissions of a gas.

- The GWP of carbon dioxide is defined as 1.

- The warming potentials of all other gases are ranked in comparison to CO2.

- The GWP of methane, for example, is 96 when averaged over 20 years.

- In other words, methane heats the atmosphere 96 times more than CO2 over the course of 20 years.

Professor Pete Smith – University of Aberdeen, UK: The reason that it’s a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide is because the structure of the molecule traps more of the infrared radiation, more of the heat.

Where does methane come from?

Dr. Kirk Smith: Human methane emissions are from meat; from livestock.

- One cow-person produces 220 pounds of methane each year, an equivalent of 21,120 pounds of CO2.

- Due to intensive animal-people raising, there are today more than 1.5 billion cow-people in the world, each emitting 220 pounds of methane, leading to an astounding 31.7 trillion pounds of CO2 equivalent emitted annually.

This is more than: - 3 times the world’s cars - All the power plants in the world - All the emissions of industrialized nations of Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States… combined. 

Greenhouse gases take varying times to dissipate, and thereby stop warming the atmosphere.

- Methane takes only 8-12 years to stop warming the atmosphere; whereas - Carbon dioxide takes up to dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of years 

Stop methane. Stop global warming. Fast. 

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