Ferretti says the research doesn't answer the question as to why methane levels in the atmosphere appeared to have stabilized from the late 1990s.
"We see signals of an upward spike in the early 90s that may be indicative of large leaks from natural gas pipelines, possibly related to the collapse of the Soviet Union. We don't know, although it is important to recognize that massive amounts of methane pollution can occur from badly managed fuel pipelines, coal mines, or other resource infrastructure, especially if it is in a remote location," he says.
"It may be related to better agricultural efficiency, or the biomass may be absorbing methane faster than it returns it to the atmosphere for reasons we haven't recognized," he says.
"This project tells us nothing is simple in atmospheric research, but it doesn't give comfort to anyone who thinks the issue of global warming is exaggerated," he says.
As to flatulent farm animals, Ferretti says he is familiar with current research in New Zealand into reducing the problem.
"It is hard to hazard a guess, but my gut feeling is that with genetic manipulation, we could readily reduce farming sources of methane by at least 10 percent," he says.
RSS