REDUCTION OF RICEFIELD METHANE EMISSION
Methane (CH4) is considered to be the third most important gas, after carbon dioxide (CO2) and freons, in its contribution to the greenhouse effect and hence to global warming. Cores taken from the ice cap have shown that its concentration in the atmosphere has tripled in 100 years. This figure would explain about 20% of the rise in temperature (+1° C) observed in the biosphere during the century. Methane is highly absorbant of infrared, which gives it a warming capacity 20 times that of carbon dioxide. Moreover, it weakens the atmosphere's ability to oxidize tropospheric pollutants such as freons. Indirectly therefore it contributes to destruction of the ozone layer, Earth's natural barr