China Cuts Methane Emissions from Rice Fields

Simple changes to farming practices in China have slashed the amount of methane released from rice fields, researchers say.  Paddy fields account for around 20% of human-related emissions of methane — a potent greenhouse gas.

The team found that draining paddy fields in the middle of the rice-growing season — a practice that most Chinese farmers have adopted since the 1980s because it increases rice yields and saves water — stopped most of the methane release from the field.

China Cuts Methane Emissions from Rice Fields