Jackson and other scientists suggest it’s time to think about removing methane from the atmosphere, in addition to cutting back on new emissions…. [They] have argued that the heating effects of methane are chronically undervalued, because current climate policies emphasize long-term temperature goals that extend far beyond the lifetime of a methane molecule. The value of reducing methane levels spikes when you factor in the benefits of preventing warming now…. Methane is a single carbon atom surrounded on four sides by hydrogen, and these bonds are broken apart by a process called oxidation—it involves oxygen atoms plus some goading by energy and chemical catalysts. There are many ways to make that chemical reaction happen, explains Renaud de Richter, a scientific adviser to Methane Action, a nonprofit that advocates removing the gas from the environment.
In Wired: It Might Be Time to Take Methane Removal Seriously
