As heat records fall, experts call for reductions in this often-overlooked greenhouse gas
This sparked renewed calls for countries to rein in emissions of greenhouse gases, which superheat the planet and drive the climate crisis. Amid those pleas, experts urged nations not to forget about one often-overlooked gas: nitrous oxide.
The compound warms the planet hundreds of times faster than carbon dioxide and, at the same time, destroys the stratospheric ozone layer, the barrier which protects the planet from harmful solar radiation.
“Nitrous oxide is not as well known by the public as some other greenhouse gases, but it can be a remarkably destructive substance,” says Martina Otto, Head of Secretariat of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, which is convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “The good news is that with strong policymaking and international cooperation, it is possible to slow emissions of this super pollutant – and save millions of lives around the world.”
Nitrous oxide is a molecule comprised of two nitrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. While it has long been used in medical settings as an anaesthetic colloquially known as laughing gas, at elevated levels, it’s a super-pollutant. Nitrous oxide traps heat in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. It also breaks down the molecules that form the stratospheric ozone layer, which shields Earth from damaging ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
It is also common byproduct of agriculture. When too much nitrogen-based fertilizer is used on crops, nitrogen can leach out of the soil and into the broader environment, forming nitrous oxide. Some 75 per cent of human-made nitrous oxide emissions since 1980 have come from the farming sector. Industrial sources account for 5 per cent of human-caused releases, while the remaining 20 per cent comes from fossil fuel combustion, wastewater treatment and other sources.
Yes, and much faster that had been thought, found a report released last year by UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. More than 28 million tonnes of nitrous oxide were emitted in 2020, compared to 17 million tonnes in an average year before the industrial revolution. A key driver of this spike is the increased use of synthetic fertilizers to feed the world’s surging population, the report says.
Where does nitrous oxide rank in the pantheon of greenhouse gases?
Nitrous oxide is the third-most prevalent human-produced greenhouse gas, behind carbon dioxide and methane. It has been responsible for around 10 per cent of global warming since the industrial revolution. While it remains in the atmosphere for around 120 years, about a tenth as long as carbon dioxide, it traps 270 times more heat per tonne than its fellow greenhouse gas. Nitrous oxide is also the most significant ozone-layer-depleting substance emitted today, not controlled by the Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to protect the ozone layer.
Why is nitrous oxide often overlooked compared to carbon dioxide and methane?
Carbon dioxide alone is responsible for more than half of the global warming we experience today. It also accumulates in the atmosphere, so it has been a focus of climate activists for decades. Methane, which is short-lived, is increasingly in the world’s crosshairs because it is responsible for at least a third of current warming. It is also 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the first 20 years after its emission.
Compared to these two powerful greenhouse gases, tackling nitrous oxide has fallen through the cracks. But cutting emissions is vital to keeping alive the world’s hopes of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a key target of the Paris Agreement, says David Kanter, co-chair of the UNEP-FAO report, the Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment.
“Only through addressing all three of these greenhouse gases do we stand a chance of staving off the most devastating effects of climate change, from extreme heat, to droughts, to more frequent and more intense storms,” he said.
How can countries reduce nitrous oxide emissions?
There are several ways. The quickest and most cost-effective solutions lie in eliminating nitrous oxide releases from the industrial sector. Using existing low-cost technologies, industry could slash its emissions by 2.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050.
Distribution channels: Environment
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