Everything you've always wanted to know about Methane, but were afraid to ask

Methane is among the most potent greenhouse gases and scientists say controlling emissions from cows and sheep, rice fields and the oil and gas industry is a major step in limiting climate change. It a major component of natural gas and is 23 times more potent in trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide and it lasts about 12 years in the atmosphere before it is oxidized and converted into CO2 and water. About 60 percent of all methane in the atmosphere is believed to be caused by human activities with fossil fuels, cattle and sheep, landfills, rice paddies and forest fires being the main human-related sources.