Surprising Sources Of Methane Emissions From Rivers And Streams. According to Earth.com, “Freshwater ecosystems contribute to half of global emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas significantly contributing to global warming. However, although rivers and streams are known to emit a substantial amount of this gas, the rates and patterns of these emissions at a global level remain largely undocumented. In a new study published in the journal Nature, an international team of scientists has provided a comprehensive description of the global rates, patterns, and drivers of methane emissions from running waters. The findings will improve methane estimates and existing climate change models, and potentially lead to land-management changes and restoration opportunities which could reduce the amount of methane leaking into the atmosphere.” [Earth.com, 8/22/23 (=)]

Does Rising Methane Signal A ‘Great Transition’ In Climate? According to Earth Sky, “Since 2006, the amount of heat-trapping methane in Earth’s atmosphere has been rising fast and, unlike the rise in carbon dioxide (CO2), methane’s recent increase seems to be driven by biological emissions, not the burning of fossil fuels. This might just be ordinary variability, a result of natural climate cycles such as El Niño. Or it may signal that a great transition in Earth’s climate has begun. Molecule for molecule, methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than CO2 but it lasts slightly less than a decade in the atmosphere compared with centuries for CO2. Methane emissions threaten humanity’s ability to limit warming to relatively safe levels. Even more troubling, the rate at which methane is increasing in the atmosphere has accelerated recently. Something like this has happened before: sudden surges in methane marked the transitions from cold ice ages to warm interglacial climates.” [Earth Sky, 8/23/23 (=)]

Bacteria That ‘Eat’ Methane Could Slow Global Heating, Study Finds. According to the Guardian, “Bacteria that consume the greenhouse gas methane could slow the rate of global heating, according to a study out this week. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas emitted from energy (natural gas and petroleum systems), industry, agriculture, land use and waste management activities. Now a group of researchers from California University Long Beach are proposing a method of removing methane by using a group of bacteria known as methanotrophs to naturally convert methane to carbon dioxide and biomass. All the bacteria in this group “‘eat’ methane, removing it from air and converting part of it to cells as a source of sustainable protein,” according to the lead researcher, Mary E Lidstrom.” [The Guardian, 8/22/23 (=)]