Methane has a half life of 8 years (Goodland & Anhang), significantly less than carbon dioxide’s 100 year half life (Goodland & Anhang). Methane exists in the environment as a greenhouse gas that has been linked to global warming. It is produced naturally in the environment, by livestock, and as a result of human activity The model explores the climate implications of reducing emissions from natural gas systems in the context of a switch towards natural gas-fueled technologies. Methane is the second-most prevelent greenhouse gas, and plays an important part in global warming; Methane can come from many sources. In other words, the true source of some of the warming that is normally attributed to smog is really due to methane that leads to increased smog. When methane is produced from non-fossil sources such as food and green waste , it can literally take carbon out of the air. Landfills, coal mines and wastewater treatment, natural gas and petroleum facilities are only a few of the sources that emit this gas. Methane and the Environment Natural gas, which primarily consists of methane, is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. Methane is emitted from burning gasoline and fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, and oil, and from hydraulic fracturing, landfills, and coal-fired power plants. The 2007 IPCC report lists the GWP as 72 over a time scale of 20 years, 25 over 100 years and 7.6 over 500 years. Not only is methane fast acting, but livestock produce a large amount of methane. It is harmful, but because of its very short half life in the atmosphere (8.6 years) it poses very little long-term risk. While serving many applications because of their durability, stability and low cost, plastics have deleterious effects on the environment. Plastic is known to release a variety of chemicals during degradation, which has a negative impact on biota. Methane’s warming effect is 21 times greater than that of carbon dioxide; however, it stays in the atmosphere for a significantly shorter period of time. Methane is a greenhouse gas that affects the environment by contributing to global warming. This greenhouse gas is produced by many natural and human-influenced sources. Methane can become explosive when mixed with other chemicals in levels as low as 5 percent. After carbon dioxide, methane is the second most important greenhouse gas. If you are in a place where you can detect an unpleasant "rotten egg" smell, the methane levels may be high enough to become explosive. You can smell methane when a utility company works on the sewer system and hydrogen sulfide naturally mixes with methane. Methane and the Environment Natural gas, which primarily consists of methane, is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. The Facts Methane (CH4) is a colorless, odorless, and explosive gas that occurs naturally in the environment; underground, in the atmosphere, and in the world's oceans. Our economics team has created a methane leakage model based on the science in the 2012 PNAS paper.