Читать книгу Climate Change For Dummies - Elizabeth May - Страница 53

Methane (CH₄) accounts for four to nine GHGs of the overall 24 GHGs, according to the World Meteorological Organization, but it’s 21 to 56 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Methane is to carbon dioxide what an espresso shot is to herbal tea. (See Table 2-1.)

Methane naturally occurs when organic materials, such as plant and animal wastes, break down in an anaerobic environment (an environment that contains no oxygen and includes the right mix of microbes and temperature). This breakdown creates methane, along with small amounts of other gases. The stomach of a cow, a landfill site, and a marsh are all prime examples of methane-producing environments.