How Does Methane Affect the Environment?

Methane emissions have a significant impact on global warming, contributing to climate change at a much faster rate than carbon dioxide. Reducing methane emissions is crucial for mitigating environmental damage and achieving climate goals. The global methane pledge, an international collaboration, plays a vital role in these efforts by mobilizing funding and implementing strategies to reduce methane emissions across various sectors, including energy, agriculture, and waste management.

What Is Methane? 

Methane (CH4) is the main component of natural gas and a potent greenhouse gas (GHG). Upon escaping into the atmosphere, greenhouse gases act as a blanket insulating the Earth, absorbing energy and slowing the rate at which heat leaves the planet. In the case of methane, this energy is absorbed remarkably well.

This process, referred to as the greenhouse effect, occurs naturally, and without it, our planet’s average temperature would fall below freezing. However, with the increase in greenhouse gas emissions over the last few centuries, the greenhouse effect has grown consistently stronger, contributing to the warming of our planet at a rate many consider alarming. A significant portion of this increase is due to global anthropogenic methane emissions, particularly from the oil and gas industry.

Methane Vs. CO2

Earth’s second most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO2), methane is comparatively short-lived. Even so, methane plays a much greater role in warming the planet. Over a 100-year period, methane is 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the earth. Over 20 years, that comparison jumps to approximately 80 times.

As methane is emitted into the air, it reacts in several hazardous ways. For one, methane primarily leaves the atmosphere through oxidization, forming water vapor and carbon dioxide. So, not only does methane contribute to global warming directly but also, indirectly through the release of carbon dioxide emissions.

Additionally, during the oxidization process, methane reacts with hydroxyl radicals (OH). These naturally occurring molecules act as a “detergent,” cleaning methane and many other pollutants from the air. Thus, methane reduces the amount of hydroxyl radicals available to remove other types of air pollutants.

Methane also contributes to the forming of the ozone, decreasing air quality and leading to various health issues in animals, premature human deaths, and reduced crop yields.

Ultimately, reducing the amount of methane in the atmosphere will lessen these effects. By focusing on anthropogenic, or man-made, methane emissions alone, we can decrease the rate of global warming considerably.

Global Warming Potentials Explained

Measured relative to carbon dioxide, global warming potentials (GWP) allow us to compare the impacts of greenhouse gases.

Because carbon dioxide is used as the reference gas, its global warming potential is 1, regardless of the time period over which it is measured. The larger a gas’s global warming potential, the more it will warm the planet compared to carbon dioxide. For example, if a gas has a global warming potential of 50, it means one ton of that gas produces the same average warming as 50 tons of carbon dioxide.

Fossil fuels significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane emissions, which are a major concern for global warming. Various countries have committed to reducing methane emissions associated with fossil fuel extraction and usage as part of broader climate change initiatives.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) supports the establishment of the International Methane Emission Observatory (IMEO) to improve global methane emissions data collection and analysis, facilitating targeted abatement actions and monitoring results within the energy sector. The global methane pledge, discussed at significant global events like the Major Economies Forum and COP meetings, represents a collaborative international effort to reduce methane emissions across various sectors, including energy, agriculture, and waste management.

While methane lasts only a decade on average (compared to the 300 to 1,000 years that carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere), it also absorbs much more energy. The net effect of this shorter lifespan combined with the higher energy absorption is reflected in its global warming potential. And thus, methane has a global warming potential of 28 to 36 over a period of 100 years.

What Can Be Done to Detect Methane Emissions? 

The use of technology can scan oil and natural gas infrastructure from production sites all the way to delivery in homes to detect methane emissions from oil and gas operations. Studies show that the detection sensitivity that Gas Mapping LiDAR operates at can detect more than 90% of methane emissions in a typical production basin. Meaning the technology exists today to find, quantify, and reduce a majority of these emissions.