What is methane and why is it bad for the environment?
Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH4. It is the simplest alkane, and the principal component of natural gas. Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas (GHG). It has 20 times the potency of CO2. GHGs are gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, and absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of thermal infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere itself, and by clouds. GHGs are essential to maintaining the temperature of the Earth; without them the planet would be so cold as to be uninhabitable but too much of them raises the average temperature of the earth which leads to climate changes which in turn affect the species living on the earth. For example: if the average temperature of the earth rises leading to the melting of the arctic ice , polar bears will lose their habitat and become extinct.
