🌎 Buy time: How we can reduce global warming by 0.5 degrees in the short term

🌎 Buy time: How we can reduce global warming by 0.5 degrees in the short term

Methane is 86 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide but disappears from the atmosphere after just 12 years. By focusing on reducing methane emissions, we can have a rapid effect on global warming.

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  • Methane is 86 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide but disappears from the atmosphere after just 12 years.
  • By focusing on reducing methane emissions, we can have a rapid effect on global warming.
  • Technical solutions are already available for the three largest emission sources: food waste, fossil industry, and agriculture.

Three main sources account for the majority of emissions

While carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, methane disappears after just 12 years. This makes methane an important target in the fight against climate change. Reducing methane emissions can lower global warming by up to 0.5 degrees Celsius in the short term.

Food waste accounts for about 20 percent of methane emissions. Sweden is leading the way by converting food waste into biogas that powers public transport.

The fossil industry causes 35 percent of emissions through infrastructure leaks. These leaks can be sealed with existing technology, and the industry has the economic resources to implement the measures.

The largest source is agriculture, with 40 percent of emissions, mainly from cows. Swedish company Volta Greentech has developed feed additives that can reduce cows' methane emissions by up to 80 percent.

New technology enables better monitoring

MethaneSat is a new satellite that can measure global methane emissions in real time. The open data collected by the satellite makes it possible to identify emission sources with high precision and take targeted actions.

Historical success shows the way

The Montreal Protocol of 1987 led to a rapid phase-out of ozone-depleting substances through coordinated international efforts. A similar global agreement for methane and other short-lived greenhouse gases could yield the same positive results.

New campaign: Buy more time

The idea comes from Ingmar Rentzhog, who is the founder of the climate organization We Don't Have Time. During an event, he launched the Buy More Time campaign and suggested that we should buy ourselves time by focusing on reducing high-impact greenhouse gases.

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