Читать книгу How Can I Stop Climate Change: What is it and how to help - Литагент HarperCollins USD, F. M. L. Thompson - Страница 52

Methane (CH4) is a naturally occurring greenhouse gas but levels in the atmosphere have more than doubled since the pre-industrial era. Farming contributes a huge amount: one dairy cow produces an estimated 500 litres of methane daily, mainly when burping – and there are some 10 million cattle in the UK. But methane also comes from landfill sites, burning fossil fuels, wetlands and drying peat bogs (swamp gas). It has a relatively short life span, of 11-12 years. Even so, methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, absorbing 20-25 times more infrared energy than carbon dioxide, and it is responsible for 24 per cent of global warming.