Social Cost of Methane Much Higher Than Current US Estimates

Social Cost of Methane Much Higher Than Current US Estimates


Photo: Nicholas Kamm (Getty Images)
Climate experts and lawmakers often refer to the social cost of carbon, which is an approximate cost of the net harm caused per ton of carbon dioxide dumped in the atmosphere. A new study, published in Nature on Wednesday, looks at the social cost of a different greenhouse gas: methane. The findings show that the cost is higher than carbon—and wildly different around the world because of rampant economic inequality.
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Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term. Some 60% of methane released into the atmosphere comes from industry, including flaring from oil and gas extraction and animal agriculture. Scientists recently revealed that there’s more of the toxic stuff in the atmosphere now than at any point in recorded history. Understanding the damage it’s doing is more vital than ever.

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