A climate fix with a hidden catch: Cutting methane reshapes ozone layer's comeback in unexpected ways

A climate fix with a hidden catch: Cutting methane reshapes ozone layer's comeback in unexpected ways

Reducing methane emissions will slow climate change but could also slow the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer, new research from the University of Reading shows.

Methane cuts can slow emissions but hinder ozone recovery

Cutting methane is one of the fastest ways to slow climate change but it could also have an unexpected side effect: delaying the recovery of the ozone layer. New research from the University of Reading has found that reducing methane makes two other groups of gases more effective at destroying ozone high in the atmosphere. The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, found that when methane levels fall, gases linked to halocarbons and n…