Is the claim about Methane valid?

Part 4: Methane science

Professor Kauffman then looked at the science: ‘The greenhouse gas theory says that emission of infrared radiation from the Earth is absorbed by certain gases in the atmosphere, which heats them up. For this to happen, the wavelengths emitted by the Earth, a broad swath peaking at 20 microns (µ) can only be absorbed by a gas with an absorption peak near 20 µ (from 10-30 µ). Here the champion absorber is water vapor. A minor absorption peak of carbon dioxide at 13 µ absorbs, but its major peak at 4 µ does not. The major peak of methane at 3 µ (3000 cm-1) is too far away from Earth’s emission to matter, but its smaller absorption at 8 µ (1300 cm –1) might absorb a little.[16]

‘How much might this matter? In Figure 7 of the review (Figure 1 above), “Climate Change Reexamined”[17] you may see an infrared spectrum of humid air. Look near 3 µ or 3000 cm-1 for the major infrared peak of methane. Do you see any of it? There is none. This means that at its level of only 1.8 ppm in air, methane is not a significant absorber. This means it cannot be an active “greenhouse gas”.

‘This is good science.’

Conclusion

So, now we know that like CO2,methane is not a major threat to either the planet or to the life on it. And as cattle and other livestock fertilise and improve the health and quality of the soil on which we all depend for the food that sustains us, perhaps we should think about eating more meat rather than less.

And while we are doing that, as there is no point in wasting what is a very useful source of cheap energy, we could collect methane from cowsheds and from waste dumps. That way, small local methane power plants could easily supply local power needs, and the very heavy cost of power stations could be reduced.

References

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2:The IPCC’s Argument | Part 3: Methane chaos | Part 4 Conclusion and references