Climate scientists were puzzled in spring 2021 after discovering that methane levels in the atmosphere had soared to the fastest rate ever recorded.
Global lockdowns had been lifted after the Covid-19 pandemic, but the levels of methane, which is emitted by agriculture and fossil fuel production, continued to rise.
Following an examination of readings from satellites, aircraft and gas monitoring stations, scientists found that methane emissions had massively increased across the tropics, where wetlands were becoming wetter and warmer.
This created the perfect conditions for microbes which thrive in such conditions and gobble up more carbon-rich organic matter, emitting methane as a byproduct.
This is just one example of a climate change feedback effect, which threatens to produce more warming and more emissions. There are many other instances, including wildfires and thawing permafrost, which are not included in the commitments made in the Paris Climate Agreement, and this lack of awareness is not helping matters.