Author: Akashni Ashok Latchanna
In the race to save our planet by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, we often forget about a formidable antagonist lurking in the shadow: Methane.
It’s the unsung villain of the greenhouse gases, a potent menace that outstrips CO2 in its malevolence by a staggering 80-fold. The battle against methane and the impending ecological catastrophe can only be won through collective action, for in unity, we find our strength, and in responsible choices, we secure our future.
Let’s first look at the science:
👉🏾 Methane, with its unique molecular structure, possesses an almost supernatural ability to ensnare heat, molecule by molecule. What makes it all the more diabolical is its longevity – once unleashed into the atmosphere, it lingers for two decades, stoking the fires of global warming.
👉🏾 The energy sector (oil, gas and coal) are notorious culprits in releasing vast plumes of methane into our skies. Yet, not to be outdone, waste joins this chorus of destruction, ranking as the third most common human-made source of methane. Surprisingly, it’s the humble foods like rice, often overlooked, that contribute their fair share to this deadly mix.
👉🏾 Methane, is the primary contributor to the formation of ground-level ozone, a hazardous air pollutant and greenhouse gas, exposure to which causes 1 million premature deaths every year.
Well, you get the picture📸
Methane, the puppeteer behind the curtain, is the chief instigator in the creation of a toxic miasma that fouls our air and poisons our lungs.
If methane gas is not controlled, we stand on the precipice of an apocalypse, a cataclysmic plunge into a desolate world where biodiversity dwindles at an alarming pace.
Among the warriors fighting the good fight is Green Bin SA, who are diverting food waste from its cruel fate in landfills, transforming it into nourishing, organic compost.
Yet the outcome of this battle depends not on the few but the many, on every individual who chooses the path of responsibility, who decides to halt the relentless march of organic waste into landfills.