Methane 101: Understanding the Second Most Important Greenhouse Gas

Methane 101: Understanding the Second Most Important Greenhouse Gas

By Olivia Rosane and Cristen Hemingway Jaynes Quick Key Facts Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and is responsible for around one-third of current global heating.  Atmospheric methane concentrations have increased by 256 percent since pre-industrial times.  Methane is a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide but lasts for far less time in the atmosphere; over a 20-year period, methane traps 86 ti…