Two new studies have found that emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas and cause of climate change, have jumped dramatically in recent years and are approaching an internationally recognized worst-case scenario for greenhouse gas emissions.
The parallel papers, published in the journals Earth System Science Data and Environmental Research Letters, report that if unchecked, this increase could see temperatures rise as much as 6 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius), speeding sea level rise and more extreme weather.
The papers also lay out recommendations for curbing methane emissions in the future, with a focus on food production, which makes up about one third of total man-made emissions. The papers were co-authored by Rob Jackson, chair of Stanford's Earth System Science Department and head of the Global Carbon Project, which organized the work.
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Political News
May 01, 2026 15:54 ET Central banks dominated the economics news flow this week with almost all major ones announcing their latest policy decisions and many boosted expectations for a rate hike in June. In other news, several countries released the preliminary data for first quarter economic growth. In the U.S., comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell were also in focus as his term ends this month.