Fluorinated Gases, Nitrous Oxide, and Methane, Oh My!
Learn how you can help reduce their threat to global warming
In the classic Wizard of Oz story, Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow overcome unseen threats by repeatedly naming their not-yet-visible nemeses as they make their way down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. “Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!” Later, when they meet the Cowardly Lion, they are well prepared for the threat.
Those of us walking the path to a green future, like my neighbor who asked me if home composting produces methane like landfills, can similarly get ready by naming the three greenhouse gases (GHG) that are not as much a part of the climate crisis conversation: fluorinated gases, nitrous oxide, and methane. These three gases, like carbon dioxide, are all top contributors to global warming.
Since I, and many others, have written extensively about carbon and how to draw it out of the atmosphere (see Let Us Help the Earth Help Us and How Does the World Get to Net-Zero by 2050?), I’m going to focus on the other three main GHGs here. I will address three questions:
- What are they?
- Where do they come from?
- What can we do to decrease them and their impact?
