當世界各國政府正努力採取各種方法來對抗氣候變遷之際，全球暖化的效應也持續加劇，暴風雨、水災、旱災、熱浪和颶風等天災越趨頻繁猛烈。
近期一項最重要的資訊顯示，每噸甲烷造成全球暖化的威力，比二氧化碳高出25倍，這是以100年來分攤計算甲烷暖化作用的平均值。然而，甲烷在大氣中只停 留10年就幾乎偵測不到，20年後更幾乎完全消失，因此，將甲烷的溫室效應分攤為100年來計算，可說是大大低估了它的影響。由於我們減少溫室氣體的時間 已剩下不到100年，最新的方式是以20年來計算，得出甲烷的溫室效應比二氧化碳強72倍。
甲烷的排放，除了來自大自然，如海洋、永凍層和一些濕地外，也來自人為的污染。人為所產生的甲烷是其中一個最大的排放源，尤其是來自生質燃燒 （biomass burning，意指在開墾土地或改變土地用途時燃燒土地上的草木）和畜牧業。能源產業所排放的甲烷，包括煤礦業、煉油業、管路滲漏等，都能透過技術的改 進使其降至最低。但正如最近加州大學柏克萊分校「全球環境健康」教授寇克‧史密斯博士（Dr. Kirk Smith）所言，畜牧業才是最嚴重的人為甲烷排放源。他說︰「我們所有吃肉的人，還有我必須指出，包括那些喝牛奶的人，都難辭其咎。」但值得慶幸的是， 我們每個人現在都能善盡一份心力，藉由減少吃肉和奶製品來降低甲烷在大氣中的含量。針對這點，史密斯教授直言不諱地證實道︰「即刻見效的方法就是少吃肉。」
目前各國政府所採取的對策都偏重在減少二氧化碳的排放，但最近這項關於甲烷的資訊卻指出一個事實，即我們應該更加著重於減少甲烷的污染。史密斯博士進一步 說︰「甲烷是大家第二熟悉的溫室氣體，但其威力卻強多了。」他描述甲烷為一種相當險惡的氣體，它不僅是一種強烈的溫室氣體，而且會增加地面上的臭氧污染， 危害人體健康。大氣中若含有高濃度的甲烷，而使氧氣濃度降至19.5%以下時，就會使人體產生窒息的危險。甲烷的濃度增高，也會與空氣混合，形成高度易燃 並具有爆炸性的氣體。
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寇 克‧史密斯博士認為氣候科學家應該多強調甲烷所造成的可怕後果︰「我們當然必須解決二氧化碳排放的問題，但如果我們想要在未來廿年內扭轉氣候變遷，則應設 法減少留存期較短的溫室氣體，其中最重要的就是甲烷。」世界各國應該聽從這項忠告，將減少甲烷的排放視為第一要務；政府在制定減少溫室氣體排放的策略時， 應將不含動物成分的飲食方式列為首要重點。正如史密斯博士所言︰「在人為因素所造成的甲烷污染中，牲畜是最大的排放源。」若能立刻減少全球甲烷的排放，也會讓我們有更多時間來轉換成使用永續能源。
簡言之，如今科學已告訴我們，甲烷在造成地球暖化的效應上，比二氧化碳的威力強許多倍，為了地球及其所有居民著想，我們必須立刻大幅降低甲烷的排放。而要達成此一目標，人人都能採行的最快又最有效的方法，就是採取無動物成分的純素飲食方式。 
線上觀看「無上師電視台」對寇克‧史密斯博士的完整專訪：http://video.Godsdirectcontact.net/magazine/AW643.php
參考資料︰
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/the-missing-link-in-the-garnaut-report-20080709-3cjh.html?page=-1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/ch1/index.htm
Methane – More Potent than CO2
As the world’s governments strive to implement solutions to combat climate change, its effects continue to increase and intensify with more frequent and severe storms, floods, droughts, heat waves, hurricanes and more.
The most prominent recent information shows that methane is up to 25 times more potent, per ton, than CO2 in causing global warming. These calculations are based on averaging the heating impact of methane over 100 years. However, after only a decade, methane is barely traceable and almost disappears after 20 years, thus averaging it over a century dramatically reduces its impact. And as we don’t have 100 years left to reduce our greenhouse gases, more recent calculations averaged over a period of 20 years rate methane as 72 times more potent.
Methane emissions are produced from natural sources such as oceans, permafrost, some wetlands, and also from human-made sources. Human-produced methane is one of the largest emitters especially from biomass burning (the burning of vegetation for land clearing and land-use change) and the livestock industry. Methane from the energy sector such as coal mines, oil refineries and leaking gas pipelines can be minimized through technological changes and advancements. But it is the methane from the livestock industry that is the worst human-derived emitter, as recently stated by Dr. Kirk Smith, Professor of Global Environmental Health at the University of California, Berkley. He said, “And that is something that we all contribute to, all of us who eat meat and I must say, drink milk as well.” Fortunately then, reducing methane levels is something that all of us can have a hand in right now by consuming less meat and dairy products. Professor Smith verifies this by boldly stating: “The immediate fix is to eat less meat.”
Currently, governments worldwide are focusing on strategies to reduce CO2 emissions; however, this latest information about methane points to the fact that we should be concentrating on methane reduction much more. Dr. Smith added, “Methane is the second most well-known greenhouse gas but is much more powerful.” He described it as an insidious gas; one that is not only an intense greenhouse gas but one that also helps create ground-level ozone, which is damaging to human health. If high levels of methane reduce oxygen concentration in the atmosphere to below 19.5% then asphyxia can occur. Increased levels can also be highly flammable forming explosive mixtures with air.
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Dr. Kirk Smith believes that climate scientists need to stress the dire consequences of methane more. “Sure we have to deal with CO2, but if you want to make an impact on climate in the next 20 years, the place to do it is with the shorter-lived greenhouse gases, most important of which is methane.” Nations worldwide need to take heed of this advice and make the reduction of methane top priority by placing the animal-free diet at the forefront of all greenhouse gas reduction strategies; because, as Dr. Smith explained, “The biggest single source of human-caused methane emissions is livestock.” Reducing global methane levels right away will also buy us more time to transition into using sustainable energies.
Put simply, the science is now telling us that methane is several times more powerful in warming the planet than CO2 and that we need to drastically reduce our methane emissions immediately for the sake of the Earth and all her inhabitants. The quickest and most effective way to make this happen is something that all individuals can do and that is to adopt an animal-free or vegan diet. 
To view Supreme Master Television’s full interview with Dr. Kirk Smith please go to: http://video.Godsdirectcontact.net/magazine/AW643.php
References:
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/the-missing-link-in-the-garnaut-report-20080709-3cjh.html?page=-1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane
http://classic.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/199/index.htm
