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sujatababar@khagolmandal.com
Climate change is one of the most
pressing issues of our time, driven by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.Among these gases,after carbon dioxide, methane has a significant impact on global warming. Methane is 84 times more potent in causing global warming than carbon dioxide
Approximately 30% of global warming can be attributed to methane. The atmospheric lifespan of methane is 12 years as compared to carbon dioxide, which can last for centuries. This means that the effect of reducing methane emissions in slowing climatechangewillbeevidentintheshortterm,that is,inourlifetime.
Methane emissions sources include the fossil fuel industry,landfills,and livestock.In the fossil fuel industry,methane is inadvertently released through leaks during extraction, processing, and transportation. Organic waste in landfills causes
MethaneSAT: Anew weapon in the battle against climate change
methane emissions. Livestock, particularly ruminants like cows, produce methane during digestion through a process known as enteric fermentation.
The main challenge in reducing methane emissions is precisely finding sources. Once the source is found,fixing it is not costly and can be done with existing technologies.Airplanes are being used to find methane emissions.However,it is impossible to fly planes over all possible sources in the world every day Existing satellites that detect methane have limitations. Existing global mapper satellites havelargepixelsizesandlowerdetectionthresholds. Pointsourcedetectionsatellitescandetectonlyvery highlevelsofmethaneemissionevents.
Identifying these problems, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), in collaboration with experts worldwide, developed a satellite – MethaneSAT. The satellite was launched on 4 March 2024. It has
Dr. Kiran Sahane
innovative spectrometers specially developed to monitor and quantify methane emissions with high precision. They can detect methane concentrations as low as two parts per billion, allowing for the identification of even minor emission sources. The satellite can detect diffuse areas of emission as well as high emitting point sources. It provides global coveragewithhighspatialresolution.
The MethaneSAT project involves transparent data sharing, which is publicly available. It allows tracking of emissions and holds polluters accountable.The data provided by MethaneSAT will be instrumental in shaping climate policy at both national and international levels By pinpointing emission sources, policymakers can develop targeted regulations and incentives to reduce methaneemissions,suchasrepairingleaksinoiland gas infrastructure or implementing better waste management practices. MethaneSAT will also help quantify the effectiveness of policies and actions aimedatreducingmethaneemissions.
Capturing methane emissions will be economically beneficial. Methane is a valuable energy source, and its capture and utilization can offset the costs of mitigation efforts. This creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in methane reduction technologies. This economic
convincing governments and companies to take decisive action to reduce methaneemissions.
NASA also launched the Tanager-1 satellite to detectmethaneandcarbon dioxide emissions on 16 August2024.
MethaneSATandother similar satellites are poised to play a crucial role in global efforts to combat climate change. With the help of data from these satellites in space and collaborative efforts on the ground, methane emissionsforoilandgasfacilitiesareexpectedtobe reduced by 75% in the next six years Fifty companies representing 40% of global oil and gas production have pledged to cut their emissions by 90% by 2030. Over 150 countries have signed a global methane pledge. They have committed to reduce their collective methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030. If measures for control of methane emissions are successful, projected increases in global warming could be reduced by 0.25 °C by 2050 and 0.5 °C by 2100. Those are significantnumbersconsideringthatthetargetisto limit global warming to 1.5°C - 2 °C above preindustriallevels.
Reduction in methane emissions has gained momentum,and it is expected to become a success story in the fight against climate change in our lifetime
Dr.Sahanehascompletedhisgraduationand post-graduationinRadiologyfromKEM,Mumbai. He is presently practicing in Nashik. He has an interestinscienceandtechnology. drkiran.sahane@gmail.com
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that there was a significant thinning in our protective shield, the “Ozone Layer.” A scientist named Jonathan Shanklin was working on the British Antarctic Survey. While analyzing past data, he discovered a significant thinning in the ozone layer above Antarctica. He also found that it was increasing in size and depth every year. It was metaphoricallyreferredtoasan“Ozonehole.”
NASA satellites confirmed these findings and provided color-coded pictures showing the significant thinning of the ozone layer over Antarctica. These pictures played an important role in easily and convincingly demonstrating the environmental challenge and raising public awareness. It was also found that the rest of the ozone layer was also affected but to a lesser degree thanAntarctica.
Scientists were able to prove that
Healing of The Ozone Layer: A Rare Victory
Dr. Kiran Sahane
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and many other chemicals are culprits for the ozone layer damage. These chemicals were grouped as ozone-depleting substances (ODS). Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were commonly used in refrigeration, air conditioning, foam blowing, and as solvents and propellants in aerosolsprays.
NASA scientists also provided a model and explanation for why the ozone layer over Antarctica was the most damaged. Unique geographical conditions resulting in significantly lower temperatures and stratospheric cloud formation were considered reasons for significantly more ozonelayerdepletionoverAntarctica.
In the 1970s, F. Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina found that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) can destroyozonemoleculesintheozonelayer.However, as with carbon emissions today, there was a strong pushback by the chemical industry against these
findings,andasaresult,actionstakentolimittheuse of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the late 1970s and early1980swereinadequateandineffective.
Why was there so much concern over the ozone layer depletion? Well, the ozone layer located in the stratosphere forms a shield that protects our planet by absorbing harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by the sun. These harmful ultraviolet radiations can cause cataracts & skin cancer in humans, reduce crop yield, and damage marine ecosystems. The ozone layer also helps to regulate thetemperatureofthestratosphere,contributingto the overall stability of Earth's climate.Depleting this protective shield of the ozone layer will negatively affectourhealth,foodsecurity,andenvironment
GlobalResponse-TheMontrealProtocol
DetectionofgrowingOzoneHolewasthewakeup call and last warning of the sort for the world.In a surprising turn of events, the world responded positively and quickly. The international community came together to adopt the Montreal Protocol on SubstancesthatDepletetheOzoneLayerin1987.This landmark agreement aimed to phase out the production and consumption of nearly 100 manmade chemicals responsible for ozone depletion. Afterinitialimplementation,manyamendmentsand adjustments were made to the Montreal Protocol. Two important amendments were the London AmendmentandtheKigaliAmendment.TheLondon Amendment introduced in 1990 gave targets for the complete phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) for developed countries by 2000 and developing countriesby2010.TheKigaliAmendmentsetbinding o b l i g a t i o n s f o r t h e p h a s e - d o w n o f hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), widely used as alternativestochlorofluorocarbons(CFCs)andfound tobepotentgreenhousegases.
The Montreal Protocol became a historical and rare agreement For the first time, 197 countries agreed on and successfully implemented a policy,
setting aside geopolitical, economic, and other differences The Montreal Protocol is one of the greatest environmental successes in human history It is still in force and being updated with newer amendments, considering current and future challenges.
ImpactoftheMontrealProtocol
Implementation of the Montreal Protocol resulted in the phase-out of nearly 99% of ozonedepleting substances. As a result, the ozone layer is healing The latest reports indicate that, if current policies remain in place, the ozone layer is expected toreturnto1980levelsby2040globally,by2045over the Arctic, and by 2066 over the Antarctic. This recovery has significantly reduced human exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, preventing many skin cancer cases. The UN Environment Programme has estimated that without the Montreal Protocol, the number of global skin cancer cases would have been14%higherby2030.
Contributiontotheclimatechangebattle
Ozone layer depletion and climate change are separate environmental challenges that result from
humanactivities.
The success of the Montreal Protocol extended beyond ozone layer recovery. It has also had a positive impact on climate change Many ozonedepleting substances are potent greenhouse gases. Phasing out of these gases has helped avoid an estimated0.5°Cglobalwarming.
Accordingtooneteamofscientists,ifCFCshad not been banned in the late 1980s, their continued use would have caused average global air temperatures to rise by an additional 2.5 C by the end of the century,on top of existing warming.This is because the greenhouse effect of ozonedepletingsubstancesandthedamagingeffectofUV radiation on plant growth reduce the carbon locking, resulting in an increase in the carbon dioxidelevelintheatmosphere.
Futurechallenges
Despite the successes, challenges remain. The illegal production and use of ozone-depleting substances in some regions continue to pose a threat to the ozone layer. New technologies and substances that could potentially harm the ozone layer must also be carefully monitored and regulated.
One emerging concern is the potential impact of geoengineering technologies, such as solar radiation management, which aim to reflect a portion of the sun's rays back into space to combat global warming. These technologies could have unintended consequences for the ozone layer, and theirdeploymentmustbecarefullyconsidered.
The increased number of rockets launching in recent years for scientific exploration and tourism raised some concerns over its impact on the ozone layer and climate change Emissions from the proposedstratosphericcommercialflightsmayalso negativelyaffecttheozonelayer
Thankfully, committees under the Montreal
Protocol and many organizations working for environmental protection are closely watching these developments, and necessary actions are expectedtobetaken.
LearningfromTheMontrealProtocol
The fight against ozone layer depletion and the Montreal Protocol is a story too often overlooked. However, the treaty’s effectiveness, resulting in signs of healing of the ozone layer within 40 years, andextrabenefitsofreducingtheeffectsofclimate change makes it a historical and unique success story. In a world where effective action on climate change is dreadfully slow, we must hold onto our winsandusethemtomodelthefuture.
Today, as we face the existential threat of climate change, the Montreal Protocol serves as a framework for the decisive global cooperation we need to combat it. Its success boosts confidence in climate scientists, activists, and people in general. Thefightagainstozonedepletionprovedthatpolicy on climate change is more important than anything else. We saved the ozone layer. We can save the climate!!
Dr.Sahanehascompletedhisgraduationand post-graduation in radiology from KEM, Mumbai. He is presently practicing in Nashik. He has an interestinscienceandtechnology.
