Despite worldwide efforts to contain the escape of major greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, emissions rose sharply last year.
According to the website ScienceDaily.com, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) increased dramatically in 2007, due mainly to the increased burning of fossil fuels; rapid growing industrialisation in Asia and emissions from wetlands in the Arctic region.
Significant contributors
CO2 and methane CH4 are significant contributors to the scientific phenomenon known as global climate change. Global climate change, or global warming as it is also coined, is a term scientists have adopted to describe the continuous increase in average temperatures of Earth's oceans and atmosphere. The rising temperatures, some agree, are causing more frequent and more severe storms, including winter storms.
Levels of CH4, which is 25 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, rose for the first time since 1998, according to the report. However there remains far less of it in the atmosphere than CO2. In fact, CH4's overall climate impact is only half that of CO2.
A recently concluded inventory of Jamaica's greenhouse gas emissions also shows that CO2 and CH4 emissions increased significantly during the period 2000-2005.
gareth.manning@gleanerjm.com
