The Climate Question Is cutting methane the quick way to cool the planet?
Mar 1, 2026
Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at UCL and author of How to Save Our Planet, breaks down why methane packs a punch for near-term warming. He covers methane’s short atmospheric life, major sources like agriculture, energy and waste. Conversations include ruminant emissions, gas leaks and flaring, landfill fixes, and how dietary and waste changes could free land for nature.
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Methane Cuts Buy Near Term Breathing Space
- Methane is a short-lived but very potent greenhouse gas that can buy time to cut CO2.
- A methane molecule is ~28x the warming potential of CO2 and lasts ~10–12 years, so cutting it slows near-term warming quickly.
Livestock Numbers Drive Agricultural Methane
- Agriculture is the single largest human source of methane, mainly from enteric fermentation in ruminants.
- There are roughly 1.5–1.7 billion cattle plus ~1–1.2 billion sheep/goats, producing huge daily methane from burps and flatulence.
Cut Meat To Free Land For Reforesting
- Reducing global meat and dairy production frees large amounts of land, enabling reforestation or rewilding that sequesters CO2.
- Maslin says beef needs ~10× more land per kilo than rice, so cutting meat frees deforested pasture for restoration.