甲烷：一种蕴藏着机遇的强效温室气体

虽然二氧化碳是最重要的人为温室气体，但甲烷 (CH4) 的威力要大得多。这种寿命相对较短的气体在二十年的时间内捕获的热量是二氧化碳的 80 倍。

Greenhouse gases are essential for making our planet habitable, but high concentrations of these heat-trapping gases are now raising the earth's surface temperature significantly, leading to global warming and climate change.

温室气体对于使我们的星球适宜居住至关重要，但高浓度的这些吸热气体现在正在显着提高地球表面温度，导致全球变暖和气候变化。

While carbon dioxide is the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, methane (CH4) is far more potent. This comparatively short-lived gas traps 80 times more heat than CO2 over a period of two decades. According to the UN Environment Programme, since pre-industrial times, methane has accounted for about 30% of climate change.

虽然二氧化碳是最重要的人为温室气体，但甲烷 (CH4) 的威力要大得多。这种寿命相对较短的气体在二十年的时间内捕获的热量是二氧化碳的 80 倍。据联合国环境规划署称，自前工业化时代以来，甲烷约占气候变化的30%。

This second most abundant greenhouse gas is the main component of natural gas and biogas.

这种第二丰富的温室气体是天然气和沼气的主要成分。

Methane is colorless, odorless, and highly flammable. Natural methane is found below the ground, with wetlands being its largest source. It is also found under the sea bed, beneath the Antarctic ice, and in oceans. This gas is also produced by volcanoes as well as the decay of plant and animal matter.

甲烷无色、无味且高度易燃。天然甲烷存在于地下，湿地是其最大来源。它也存在于海床下、南极冰层下和海洋中。这种气体也是由火山以及植物和动物的腐烂产生的。

An important contributor to methane's release into the environment is human activities which include landfills, agricultural activities, livestock, manure, coal mining, and oil and gas production.

人类活动是甲烷释放到环境中的一个重要因素，包括垃圾填埋场、农业活动、牲畜、粪便、煤炭开采以及石油和天然气生产。

When emitted into the air, methane reacts in hazardous ways. Not only it releases carbon dioxide emissions through oxidation but also contributes to the forming of the ozone. This way, it decreases air quantity, leading to premature human deaths, reduced crop yields, and causing health issues in animals.

当甲烷排放到空气中时，会发生危险的反应。它不仅通过氧化释放二氧化碳排放，而且有助于臭氧的形成。这样，空气量就会减少，导致人类过早死亡、农作物产量下降，并导致动物健康问题。

In humans, this potent greenhouse gas can also cause issues like asthma, cardiovascular disease, and increased risk of stroke. Methane gas poisoning, meanwhile, can lead to asphyxiation.

对于人类来说，这种强效温室气体还会导致哮喘、心血管疾病和中风风险增加等问题。与此同时，甲烷气体中毒会导致窒息。

High levels of methane can also cause issues like memory loss, slurred speech, nausea, flushing, headache, vomiting, mood changes, and vision problems. Meanwhile, contact with liquefied methane released under pressure may cause frostbite.

高浓度的甲烷还会导致记忆丧失、言语不清、恶心、潮红、头痛、呕吐、情绪变化和视力问题等问题。同时，接触压力下释放的液化甲烷可能会导致冻伤。

Given the harmful effect of methane, there has been a greater focus on better quantifying and drastically reducing methane pollution to prevent the worst climate impacts.

鉴于甲烷的有害影响，人们更加关注更好地量化和大幅减少甲烷污染，以防止最严重的气候影响。

Methane Emissions from Manure Far Greater

粪便中的甲烷排放量要大得多

Farm livestock are a prominent source of methane emissions from agriculture. As per the current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimation, it accounts for 12% to 14.5% of all human-induced GHG emissions.

农场牲畜是农业甲烷排放的一个重要来源。根据目前政府间气候变化专门委员会 (IPCC) 的估计，它占所有人类引起的温室气体排放的 12% 至 14.5%。

The national inventories of greenhouse gas emissions meanwhile report that emissions coming directly from the digestive systems of animals (enteric fermentation) are three to nine times greater than those from manure management, including the storing and spreading of slurry and manure. However, the emissions from these two cases could be much closer to 50:50.

与此同时，国家温室气体排放清单报告称，直接来自动物消化系统（肠道发酵）的排放量是粪便管理（包括淤浆和粪便的储存和撒播）排放量的三到九倍。然而，这两种情况的排放量可能更接近 50:50。

According to new research, though, the actual methane emissions from slurry stores on dairy farms could be as much as five times more than what the official statistics suggest.

不过，根据新的研究，奶牛场淤浆库的实际甲烷排放量可能比官方统计数据高出五倍之多。

Conducted by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and a not-for-profit association, the International Fugitive Emissions Abatement Association (IFEAA), the study is based on calculations from two dairy farms in England.

这项研究由东安格利亚大学 (UEA) 和非营利组织国际逃逸排放减排协会 (IFEAA) 进行，基于英格兰两个奶牛场的计算。

The research suggests the ‘Tier 2' calculations currently being used by countries to report their emissions annually to the IPCC may not be robust, hence the underestimation.

研究表明，各国目前用于每年向 IPCC 报告其排放量的“二级”计算可能并不可靠，因此被低估。

The measurements of emissions from slurry lagoons were analyzed by researchers during 2022-23. To capture methane, airtight covers were used to enclose the slurry lagoons, which showed that they generate far more CH4 than previously suggested.

研究人员在 2022-23 年间对淤浆泻湖的排放测量结果进行了分析。为了捕获甲烷，使用了密封盖来封闭泥浆泻湖，这表明它们产生的甲烷远远多于之前的建议。

As per the findings, the actual emission was 145 kg per cow per year on one farm and 198 kg per cow per year on the other farm. This is 3.8 – 5.2 times higher than the existing official figure of 38 kg per cow reported in the UK's National Inventory.

根据调查结果，一个农场每头牛每年的实际排放量为 145 公斤，另一个农场每头牛每年实际排放量为 198 公斤。这比英国国家库存中报告的现有官方数据（每头牛 38 公斤）高出 3.8 至 5.2 倍。

While the standard international methodology seems to underestimate slurry storage methane emissions, the research says that today, we have the technology that can help “turn this problem into a business opportunity.” Methane can actually be easily captured and then used as a fossil fuel alternative, which also creates “an additional income stream for farms.”

虽然标准的国际方法似乎低估了泥浆储存甲烷排放量，但研究表明，今天，我们拥有可以帮助“将这个问题转化为商机”的技术。甲烷实际上可以很容易地捕获，然后用作化石燃料替代品，这也为“农场创造了额外的收入来源”。

Highlighting the huge potential for turning that methane into a renewable energy source, Professor Neil Ward of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at UEA noted that using methane as a fuel can help farmers reduce their energy bills and become energy independent.

东英吉利大学廷德尔气候变化研究中心的尼尔·沃德教授强调了将甲烷转化为可再生能源的巨大潜力，他指出，使用甲烷作为燃料可以帮助农民减少能源费用并实现能源独立。

Capturing and turning emitted methane into biogas could save an average-sized dairy farm about £52,500 in fuel costs. In total, this cost saving could be over £400 mln for the dairy sector.

捕获排放的甲烷并将其转化为沼气可以为平均规模的奶牛场节省约 52,500 英镑的燃料成本。总的来说，乳制品行业的成本节省可能超过 4 亿英镑。

Existing technology can capture the gas, and using it across the EU's dairy herds could cut emissions by an estimated 5.8% of the budget for limiting global warming to 1.5°C, according to research.

研究表明，现有技术可以捕获这种气体，并在整个欧盟奶牛场中使用它，可以将全球变暖限制在 1.5°C 的预算中减少约 5.8% 的排放量。

The significant underestimation of manure management emissions means that not only are the estimates inaccurate, but priorities regarding reducing options may also be distorted.

粪便管理排放量的严重低估意味着不仅估算不准确，而且有关减少选择的优先事项也可能被扭曲。

“This research therefore represents an urgent call for action and further work to better understand methane emissions from manure management.”

“因此，这项研究迫切呼吁采取行动并进一步开展工作，以更好地了解粪便管理中的甲烷排放。”

– Prof Ward

——沃德教授

So,

所以，