Living Planet | 04.07.2008 | 00:30
Researching Methane in Alaska
Carbon dioxide and climate change go hand in hand, and while this greenhouse gas may be a household name, it isn't the most dangerous. Methane does far more damage, and is often overlooked.
Alaska is the northernmost state in the USA. So far north that part of it actually lies inside the Arctic circle. But the average temperature has risen by around 6 degrees since 1960, and scientists say there’s evidence that established ice areas in the Arctic are melting fast. No region on earth is being affected as quickly and drastically by climate change as the Arctic.
Seven young European ambassadors traveled to Arctic Alaska as part of the Climate Change College to find out first-hand about global warming there, and to get to know how scientists monitor climate change.
One of the things they learned about was the affects of methane. This greenhouse gas may not receive as much attention as carbon dioxide but scientists say a methane emission has 25 times the impact on temperature of a carbon dioxide emission of the same mass over 100 years.
Report: Irene Quaile
