Fewer Greenhouse Gases Emitted, Report Says

A new NASA study shows that the rate at which greenhouse gases enter the Earth’s atmosphere has slowed over the last 20 years. Part of the decrease is because of the Montreal Protocol, which phased out ozone-depleting gases, such as chlorofluorocarbons, that also act as greenhouse gases. There was also a reduction in the rate at which methane, carbon dioxide and soot entered the atmosphere, for reasons that remain unclear. The finding, said NASA’s James Hansen, suggests that limiting methane and soot emissions could ease warming problems in the short term.

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Compiled by Times science writer Usha Lee McFarling