Australia's Climate Challenge: Taming the "Forgotten Greenhouse Gas"
Surging nitrous oxide emissions driven by agriculture industry pose threat to Paris Agreement goals
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Nitrous oxide emissions are rising globally due to increased agricultural activity, raising Australian researcher concerns about the method that can reduce the greenhouse gas production in agriculture change, according to ABC News.
Summary
Experts have warned that the rapid growth in global nitrous oxide emissions poses a significant challenge to Australia’s efforts to combat climate change. Human-caused N2O emissions have increased by 40 percent over the past 40 years, driven by increased agricultural activities such as nitrogen fertilizer use and the livestock production industry.
In Australia, the agricultural sector is the primary source of N2O emissions, accounting for 18% of the country’s total GHG production in 2020-21. While Australia is not one of the world’s largest emitters of nitrous oxide, Professor Peter Grace of the Queensland University of Technology says there is still much work to be done to reduce emissions, especially for crops like sugarcane that rely heavily on nitrogen fertilizers. Professor Grace has written a white paper for the Australian fertilizer industry peak group Fertilizer Australia, looking at reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions without compromising production.
Globally, experts say nitrous oxide emissions must be reduced by 20-25% by 2050 to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C or even 1.5°C. Professor Joeri Rogelj of Imperial College London, the lead author of the IPCC’s sixth report, emphasized that the key for Australia and other countries to address this “forgotten greenhouse gas” and its impact on climate change is to implement best practices and policies.
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An explosive 40% increase in the potent greenhouse gas Nitrous Oxide over 40 years presents a major climate challenge for Australia. The agriculture industry is a key driver. Is Australia doing enough to tackle this ‘forgotten’ threat to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement? #Agricultural Industry #Australia Climate # Greenhouse Gas
Link
https://open.substack.com/pub/ccdispatches/p/australias-climate-challenge-taming?r=3ugkio&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web