| Global warming effects have occurred in many parts | | | | warming potential (GWP) of methane is significantly |
| of the world. More frequent disaster such as storm | | | | increased to 33. It means that the actual effect of |
| and flood, drought, and the decrease of agricultural | | | | global warming is worse than calculated before. We |
| yields are just some examples of it. The news is | | | | miss one important fact here, that the mixture |
| getting worse when Drew Shindell, at NASA Goddard | | | | between aerosols and methane will increase the |
| Institute for Space Studies, New York stated that | | | | global warming effect. |
| methane has more global warming effect when | | | | Methane, as one of the form of hydrocarbon, has |
| combined with aerosols. He ran a range of | | | | detrimental effects to the environment. It can |
| computerized models to prove it. | | | | increase the formation of ozone in the troposphere |
| Aerosols can be defined as a suspension of fine solid | | | | which is not a good sign at all, since it can reduce the |
| particles or liquid droplets in a gas. Aerosols are | | | | agricultural yields. It can also be oxidized to carbon |
| generated naturally from volcanoes, dust storms, | | | | dioxide and form water vapor in the stratosphere, |
| forest and grassland fires, living vegetation, and sea | | | | which also considered as greenhouse gas. |
| spray. Ten percent of the aerosols are generated by | | | | Aerosols without the presence of methane would be |
| human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels. In | | | | a good thing to the earth. They tend to have a |
| the atmosphere it refers to atmospheric particles | | | | cooling effect on the earth surface by reflecting the |
| such as dust, sea salt, sulphates, smoke and black | | | | sun light back into space. It means aerosols are |
| carbon. | | | | reducing the solar radiation that reaches the surface |
| Methane is creating global warming effect 25 times | | | | of the earth. |
| more than carbon dioxide, this statement is | | | | One interesting fact here is that the earth naturally |
| supported by The International Panel on Climate | | | | has mechanism to maintain its balance. The aerosols |
| Change (IPCC) and treaties such as Kyoto Protocol. | | | | which are 90% generated naturally, are good for the |
| It means that with the same volume, methane is able | | | | environment. The introduction of new substance to |
| to warm this planet 25 times more than carbon | | | | the environment could change that balance. Our |
| dioxide. The condition is worse when aerosols are | | | | knowledge is too limited to be able to understand |
| also present in the atmosphere. The relative global | | | | these phenomena completely. |