Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases contributing to global warming.
In recent years, every year has marked a record high in atmospheric methane concentration. (Update, May 2024: it is now over 1934 parts per billion)[1], [2]
Over a 20 year period the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of Methane is 80 times more than the same mass of Carbon Dioxide, and 28 times more over a 100 year period [3].
Methane is responsible for about 40% of warming so far.
Reducing methane emissions is the most important thing we can do in the short term
So how does this relate to vegans?
One of the major causes of the methane crisis is the production of meat for human diets. In ruminants such as cattle and sheep methane is produced mostly by fermentation where microbes decompose and ferment plant materials in their digestive tract or rumen.
Livestock farming generates about 32% of the man-made methane emissions, and also amounts to about 20% of total methane emissions [4]
The obvious conclusion is that if we are to avoid global warming and the dire consequences that follow then we must dramatically reduce meat consumption.
Even better, end it altogether.
[1] https://theconversation.com/methane-in-the-atmosphere-is-at-an-all-time-high-heres-what-it-means-for-climate-change-174908
[2] https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends_ch4
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_methane
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/27/meat-and-dairy-giants-feed-climate-crisis-by-dragging-their-heels-on-methane
