Pollution of the potent warming gas methane soars and people are mostly to blame

AP Science Writer

A new study says the amount and proportion of the powerful heat-trapping gas methane that humans spew into the atmosphere is rising, and it’s helping to turbocharge climate change. Scientists fear the extra potent gas is being ignored. Tuesday’s study finds that in 2020, the last year complete data is available, the world put 670 million tons of methane in the air. That’s up nearly 12% from 2000. Emissions that are directly traceable to humans have jumped almost 18% in two decades. That’s far more than natural emissions have risen over the same period. Humans cause methane emissions by burning fossil fuels, engaging in large-scale agriculture and filling up landfills, among other things.