Greenhouse Gases: Sources, Sinks, and Solutions

Greenhouse Gases: Sources, Sinks, and Solutions

• News
• September 11, 2026

ACS Spring 2027

ENVR & GEOC

Greenhouse Gases: Sources, Sinks, and Solutions
 
Greenhouse gases are the primary drivers of ongoing climate change, with carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) contributing the majority of anthropogenic radiative forcing, but each has different decay dynamics. Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide on a per-molecule basis and is responsible for roughly 20–30% of the recent increase in Earth’s surface temperature. Its atmospheric concentration, now approaching 2 ppm, has risen sharply over the past century, tracking fossil fuel use. Nitrous oxide is even more potent than methane and its atmospheric concentration has risen to 0.34 ppm. Agriculture and manure management are the largest anthropogenic sources of nitrous oxide. Other potent, long-lived greenhouse gases include sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). The persistence of gases in the atmosphere is a complex function of time and depends on sources, sinks, decay mechanisms, and atmospheric lifetimes. This session brings together research and applied work on relevant atmospheric processes of greenhouse gases and mitigation. Topics include atmospheric measurements and modeling, characterization of sources and sinks, strategies to reduce emissions at their source, and market, policy, and regulatory elements. The session aligns with U.N. Sustainable Development Goals 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and 13 (Climate Action).

Organizer: Joe Sabol

To submit an abstract: ACS Spring 2027