Science & Technology

Meet Methane, the Invisible Climate Villain | Marcelo Mena | TED

A landfill on fire doesn’t only emit a horrid stench — it has devastating consequences for the environment, too. The culprit is methane, an often underestimated greenhouse gas produced in large part by food systems, organic waste and yes, cow burps. Biochemical engineer Marcelo Mena explains the source of this sneaky pollutant, why its emissions…

Published

on

A landfill on fire doesn’t only emit a horrid stench — it has devastating consequences for the environment, too. The culprit is methane, an often underestimated greenhouse gas produced in large part by food systems, organic waste and yes, cow burps. Biochemical engineer Marcelo Mena explains the source of this sneaky pollutant, why its emissions need to be cut in half by 2050 — and what you can do to help.

Countdown is TED’s global initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. The goal: to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, in the race to a zero-carbon world. Get involved at

Learn more about #TEDCountdown:
Twitter:
Instagram:
Facebook:
Website:

If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas:

Follow TED!
Twitter:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:

The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Watch more:

TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

#TED #TEDTalks #methane

75 Comments

  1. Frances Bernard

    November 27, 2023 at 4:13 pm

    What a poetic title for this Ted talk. Not the kind of poem I would want to read further though.

  2. shanshan wang

    November 27, 2023 at 4:14 pm

    6th to comment

  3. D. Martins

    November 27, 2023 at 4:18 pm

    yeah! lets make electric cows then!!

  4. Paul Caparn

    November 27, 2023 at 4:20 pm

    If you’re all so worried about Methane, why aren’t you demanding answers about the deliberate Nord Stream sabotage which caused the biggest methane escape ever known? An estimated 500,000 tonnes billowed out, and nobody bats an eyelid and lets it slide?

  5. Matt Stone

    November 27, 2023 at 4:21 pm

    Methane comes out his mouth…

  6. Krunoslav Stifter

    November 27, 2023 at 4:28 pm

    Meet Mr. Watermelon. The very visible human Villain. Of course this is ted. Ponzi schemes are on Tuesdays and Fruitcakes are every day of the week.

  7. Fred Zayas

    November 27, 2023 at 4:33 pm

    I know! Methane is what caused Venus to overheat. Oh, wait…

  8. Fred Zayas

    November 27, 2023 at 4:34 pm

    Is man-made climate change caused mainly by fear-inducing climate models?

  9. Carolina Taylor

    November 27, 2023 at 4:41 pm

    It’s no longer a story that the world is experiencing a global economic downturn, I’m so happy that I’ve been receiving $64,000 from my $15,000 investment every 14 days.

    • Dr Agi

      November 27, 2023 at 4:46 pm

      HOW !! I know it’s possible , I would appreciate if you show me how to go about it .

    • Carolina Taylor

      November 27, 2023 at 4:46 pm

      The crypto market is highly profitable with an expert broker just like Mrs Janice Webb Lavin.. I got recommended to her and since then my financial life has been a success

    • Carolina Taylor

      November 27, 2023 at 4:47 pm

      It was a very awesome transformation , No greater joy than seeing my progress in an initial decision ..

    • Wagner Romano

      November 27, 2023 at 4:47 pm

      just searched about her on Google and yes, she’s won my heart. She just gained herself a new client

    • George McAllister

      November 27, 2023 at 4:48 pm

      How can I reach out to Mrs Janice Webb Lavin? I urgently need her to manage my investment, please!!

  10. Лариса Островская

    November 27, 2023 at 5:01 pm

    Climate change is a scam.

  11. HappySlappii

    November 27, 2023 at 5:03 pm

    What we got to do is get the poor people to eat the scraps….. Deregulate McDonald’s!!!!!

  12. ManafSter

    November 27, 2023 at 5:03 pm

    cut to the chase man just say lets eat bugs. that seems to be the narrative lately

  13. Toni

    November 27, 2023 at 5:09 pm

    Beans create more cow burps from people than from cows. Don’t blame the cows for vegetable waste doing the damage.

  14. Toni

    November 27, 2023 at 5:14 pm

    I’m so sick of the animals getting the blame. When are we going to blame ourselves? We can’t continue to keep breeding like mice and rats. People can’t continue to multiply out of sight. When I was born, there were one and a half billion people. Now.. there are over eight and I have another ten years at least before I’m dead.

    • Mar nig

      November 27, 2023 at 6:28 pm

      5% of all animals are Wild tru Animals, all other is man made for Marketing,u live in emotional jail,wake up❤

  15. Laszlo Bergovecz

    November 27, 2023 at 5:16 pm

    Stop breeding animals! Bad for them bad for the environment and not ideal for us either. Sorry for bursting the methane bubble here. Also Nitric oxide is even worse for the environment and for our health too. The whole system should be changed, not tarted up.

  16. Paulo de Tarso Arruda Correia

    November 27, 2023 at 5:25 pm

    Muito boa inciativa com a apresentação de um conjunto de medidas eficazes para cortar as emissões de CH4 que são muito mais danosas que as de CO2 . Faltou porem mencionar a geração de energia elétrica a partir do bio gas nos lixões ou land fill.

  17. 2012escapee1

    November 27, 2023 at 5:30 pm

    Just stop with the propaganda

    • Mar nig

      November 27, 2023 at 6:19 pm

      Ur right it’s too late,so Happy exitinction buddy❤

  18. Dame Anvil

    November 27, 2023 at 5:46 pm

    00:08 🌍 Landfills, like the Ghazipur landfill in Delhi, emit methane due to organic waste decomposition, contributing to harmful particulate matter and posing environmental risks.
    00:37 📈 Methane from landfills in developing countries is a significant contributor to climate change, and emissions are expected to double by 2050 with increasing demand for goods and waste generation.
    01:09 ⚡ Reducing methane emissions by half by 2050 is crucial to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius while supporting development in the Global South.
    01:37 🌡 Methane, though receiving less attention than carbon dioxide, has contributed to nearly half of the warming experienced and demands immediate reduction to effectively curb temperature rise within our lifetime.
    02:06 💨 While addressing fossil fuel emissions is critical, focusing on food systems’ emissions, which contribute 60 percent of methane emissions, is equally imperative.
    03:09 🚮 Organic waste in landfills and food loss contributes significantly to methane emissions, with technologies like satellite monitoring aiding in pinpointing sources for mitigation.
    04:44 🌍 Global initiatives, like Waste MAP, aim to intervene in major landfills worldwide, emphasizing the importance of stopping existing methane emissions and preventing new ones.
    05:15 🔄 Organic waste diversion, such as composting, presents practical solutions to mitigate methane emissions from food waste.
    05:46 🐄 Raising cows for dairy and meat is a significant source of methane emissions, with potential solutions focused on improving feeding, breeding, and animal welfare.
    06:44 🌱 The Enteric Fermentation Research and Development Accelerator aims to reduce livestock emissions through innovative approaches, such as feeding algae or seaweed to animals.
    08:20 💡 Addressing methane emissions benefits communities by improving living conditions, air quality, and food security, making immediate changes possible at a personal level.

  19. @dameanvil

    November 27, 2023 at 5:46 pm

    00:08 🌍 Landfills, like the Ghazipur landfill in Delhi, emit methane due to organic waste decomposition, contributing to harmful particulate matter and posing environmental risks.
    00:37 📈 Methane from landfills in developing countries is a significant contributor to climate change, and emissions are expected to double by 2050 with increasing demand for goods and waste generation.
    01:09 ⚡ Reducing methane emissions by half by 2050 is crucial to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius while supporting development in the Global South.
    01:37 🌡 Methane, though receiving less attention than carbon dioxide, has contributed to nearly half of the warming experienced and demands immediate reduction to effectively curb temperature rise within our lifetime.
    02:06 💨 While addressing fossil fuel emissions is critical, focusing on food systems’ emissions, which contribute 60 percent of methane emissions, is equally imperative.
    03:09 🚮 Organic waste in landfills and food loss contributes significantly to methane emissions, with technologies like satellite monitoring aiding in pinpointing sources for mitigation.
    04:44 🌍 Global initiatives, like Waste MAP, aim to intervene in major landfills worldwide, emphasizing the importance of stopping existing methane emissions and preventing new ones.
    05:15 🔄 Organic waste diversion, such as composting, presents practical solutions to mitigate methane emissions from food waste.
    05:46 🐄 Raising cows for dairy and meat is a significant source of methane emissions, with potential solutions focused on improving feeding, breeding, and animal welfare.
    06:44 🌱 The Enteric Fermentation Research and Development Accelerator aims to reduce livestock emissions through innovative approaches, such as feeding algae or seaweed to animals.
    08:20 💡 Addressing methane emissions benefits communities by improving living conditions, air quality, and food security, making immediate changes possible at a personal level.

  20. Peter Ston

    November 27, 2023 at 6:05 pm

    It is amazing to me that people come on here and make useless ignorant comments.
    You may want to expand your horizons and understanding of the subject matter.
    40% of our food in the US gets thrown out. This means we have used energy in all sorts of ways to first produce it and get it to market, then we use more energy to throw it out and dispose of it. We dispose it and now it creates other issues. And that is in this country.
    Other parts of the planet, thanks to our consume consume consume society they picked up, have become trash heaps that produce huge amounts of methane. Ever been by a Trash site where they flash off the methane? Huge flames 24/7. In Europe they in same cases capture and reuse those gases for energy production.
    Doesn’t matter if you “believe” in global warming. Its happening. And in order for us to survive in the long term, we should do whatever we can to reduce our negative impact.
    But we’re so focused on profit profit profit that we are completely willing to ignore the consequences of this mantra.
    To many laws written, to many politicians influenced by Lobbyists. To much false information spread to serve those interests.
    If there is a possibility to fix a problem we caused, we should.
    We all love pristine places and nobody wants to live next to a trash disposal site. So why not reduce the trash we produce to keep more of what we have stays pristine. Work on that instead making of useless remarks. Easy to critique, hard to do.

  21. @peterston4039

    November 27, 2023 at 6:05 pm

    It is amazing to me that people come on here and make useless ignorant comments.
    You may want to expand your horizons and understanding of the subject matter.
    40% of our food in the US gets thrown out. This means we have used energy in all sorts of ways to first produce it and get it to market, then we use more energy to throw it out and dispose of it. We dispose it and now it creates other issues. And that is in this country.
    Other parts of the planet, thanks to our consume consume consume society they picked up, have become trash heaps that produce huge amounts of methane. Ever been by a Trash site where they flash off the methane? Huge flames 24/7. In Europe they in same cases capture and reuse those gases for energy production.
    Doesn’t matter if you “believe” in global warming. Its happening. And in order for us to survive in the long term, we should do whatever we can to reduce our negative impact.
    But we’re so focused on profit profit profit that we are completely willing to ignore the consequences of this mantra.
    To many laws written, to many politicians influenced by Lobbyists. To much false information spread to serve those interests.
    If there is a possibility to fix a problem we caused, we should.
    We all love pristine places and nobody wants to live next to a trash disposal site. So why not reduce the trash we produce to keep more of what we have stays pristine. Work on that instead making of useless remarks. Easy to critique, hard to do.

  22. Hula Can

    November 27, 2023 at 6:22 pm

    A lot of what we call “food” is actually animal “feed.” We started to eat feed, when livestock became solely food with the advent of machines. Wasting *_your_* food and wasting *_your_* effort to eat is the number one cost driver in all aspects of life. Psychologically the cost is convincing yourself to accept your own fraud. … 3hrs later: “hmm, I sure could use a couple more bites.” tick tock tick

  23. @HulaCan-nn1bn

    November 27, 2023 at 6:22 pm

    A lot of what we call “food” is actually animal “feed.” We started to eat feed, when livestock became solely food with the advent of machines. Wasting *_your_* food and wasting *_your_* effort to eat is the number one cost driver in all aspects of life. Psychologically the cost is convincing yourself to accept your own fraud. … 3hrs later: “hmm, I sure could use a couple more bites.” tick tock tick

  24. Thomas Gerber

    November 27, 2023 at 6:22 pm

    Creating another source of income in these difficult times is the best thing to do not only does it guarantee returns, it also helps you plan and save for future expenses I hope everyone who reads this will be successful in life

    • Lina Vogt

      November 27, 2023 at 6:24 pm

      Assets that can make one successful in life

    • Lina Vogt

      November 27, 2023 at 6:24 pm

      I. Forex
      2.Stocks
      3.Shares

    • Lina Vogt

      November 27, 2023 at 6:24 pm

      forex is profitable and lucrative investment online

    • Laurens Hofman

      November 27, 2023 at 6:27 pm

      You are right.

    • Laurens Hofman

      November 27, 2023 at 6:27 pm

      But I don’t know why people remain poor due to ignorance

  25. @thomasgerber5223

    November 27, 2023 at 6:22 pm

    Creating another source of income in these difficult times is the best thing to do not only does it guarantee returns, it also helps you plan and save for future expenses I hope everyone who reads this will be successful in life

    • @linavogt5392

      November 27, 2023 at 6:24 pm

      Assets that can make one successful in life

    • @linavogt5392

      November 27, 2023 at 6:24 pm

      I. Forex
      2.Stocks
      3.Shares

    • @linavogt5392

      November 27, 2023 at 6:24 pm

      forex is profitable and lucrative investment online

    • @laurenshofman9377

      November 27, 2023 at 6:27 pm

      You are right.

    • @laurenshofman9377

      November 27, 2023 at 6:27 pm

      But I don’t know why people remain poor due to ignorance

  26. Makka Pakka

    November 27, 2023 at 6:45 pm

    Co2 is run its course just like the preseasons causing climate change, warming, cooling and the ozone layer stories. No independent science involved, only those funded by big oil.

  27. @Pathofplenty

    November 27, 2023 at 6:45 pm

    Co2 is run its course just like the preseasons causing climate change, warming, cooling and the ozone layer stories. No independent science involved, only those funded by big oil.

  28. poulson821751

    November 27, 2023 at 7:08 pm

    I remember when TED talks were amazing.

  29. @poulson821751

    November 27, 2023 at 7:08 pm

    I remember when TED talks were amazing.

  30. @12seth12

    November 27, 2023 at 8:44 pm

    How about reducing livestock emissions by not eating from animals?

    • @MckenziMacDowall

      November 28, 2023 at 2:42 am

      Farm Bill (if US based)!

  31. @villagecpa

    November 27, 2023 at 9:11 pm

    You know, if all of you would pay more in taxes the Democrats would be able to control Earth’s climate.

  32. @flyingfig12

    November 27, 2023 at 10:24 pm

    Here’s an idea.. how about humans stop drinking cows milk that’s meant for baby cows so they can grow big fast.

    • @MckenziMacDowall

      November 28, 2023 at 2:19 am

      To change this lobby the Farm Bill – up for renewal this year! The #1 reason we have so much meat and milk is gov’t incentives to produce corn and soybeans as back up energy supply. It’s not our insatiable appetite, it’s the gov’t outdated energy security policy (corn=ethanol and soy=renewable diesel). Conveniently a place to offload the excess supply of these commodities was met with the advent of CAFOs, processed foods, and dependence on food aid in developing countries. Call your representatives, Farm Bill renews only every 5 years and the policies are integral to what feeds all public school children and how 200 million acres of American farm land is used. 🌱

    • @DustyAnimations

      November 28, 2023 at 1:03 pm

      Why do we need baby cows to grow fast? Milk them or meat them?

  33. @Bushman9

    November 28, 2023 at 12:02 am

    Someone help me here…
    My food composting is good but that same food in a landfill becomes rotting organic matter.
    Why doesn’t food waste compost in a landfill?

    • @MckenziMacDowall

      November 28, 2023 at 2:40 am

      Good question! Two factors: (1) Oxygen. is needed to turn food scraps into compost. In landfills, compaction reduces oxygen and only bacteria that excrete methane survive and decompose the material. (2) Compost at minimum requires a balance of nitrogen and carbon, aka green and brown material. Landfills tend to lack a beneficial mix of food with brown material (leafs, wood chips, cardboard, etc.)

      Hope this was helpful!

    • @Bushman9

      November 28, 2023 at 4:15 am

      @@MckenziMacDowall
      Yes, it does.
      I line my compost bin with shakes from straw bales. That’s what I was taught to do.
      Now I know why.
      Thanks.

  34. @everythingmatters6308

    November 28, 2023 at 12:54 am

    How about birth control to reduce consumption and emissions?

  35. @rnedlo9909

    November 28, 2023 at 1:06 am

    Every day in the world 40,000,000 gallons of fuel i evaporated into the atmosphere from just FILLING OUR TANKS! I know the focus is on carbon dioxide, but there are so many chemicals from paints, glues, fuels and, yes, methane. We can do better; we MUST do better!

    • @MckenziMacDowall

      November 28, 2023 at 2:42 am

      Agriculture dumps more chemicals across the land than any other industry. Plus it’s also breaking small water cycles and causing desertification. So likely the worst problem we need to be focusing on in the coming 25 years.

  36. @deanchristie3829

    November 28, 2023 at 1:33 am

    This video is junk science at its best. If trees are good for the earth environmentally (carbon sink), then so are animals! Animal recycle carbon, just like plants do. Focusing on cow farts is no better than taxing emissions (output) irrespective of inputs, that is, a carbon tax. The largest contibutor to the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere is water.

  37. @majorgnu

    November 28, 2023 at 1:46 am

    Can you stop saying “saving the planet” already?
    The planet will be fine no matter what we do.
    This is about saving humanity. Our own skins.
    Stop falsely painting it as altruism or you’ll keep failing to get the support of selfish people who don’t care about doing things just for goodness’s sake.

  38. @mikestaub

    November 28, 2023 at 5:43 am

    Bitcoin mining is a perfect solution for this.

  39. @sixvee5147

    November 28, 2023 at 7:28 am

    The Anthropocene is coming to an end; All hail the Pyrocene! May the sixth mass extinction include the species that caused it. Enjoy what you can, while you still can; pity the generations to come.

  40. @user-kb4mg7ev3b

    November 28, 2023 at 9:17 am

    The speeker should not insist in developing countries and Subsaharian Africa, the major pollutants (even for methane) emitters are developed countries. This speech is not sincere.

  41. @SeanLumly

    November 28, 2023 at 9:43 am

    Is this the oil industries latest attempt to divert attention away from oil and gas around the world?

    We need to switch to renewables, and get cars off the road. Period.

  42. @RebeccaWhite30

    November 28, 2023 at 9:47 am

    Finally, some actual solutions that don’t vilify just one source and don’t expect cultural changes that have been around for tens of thousands of years

  43. @joestocker7639

    November 28, 2023 at 10:43 am

    Impossi9ble to reduce since nine billion humans are the primary source. No other animal produces enough to matter. Stupid click bait.

  44. @Picci25021973

    November 28, 2023 at 11:22 am

    I compost all my organic waste at home, to amend my vegetable garden. It’s easy, cheap and even funny. Try!

  45. @ronkirk5099

    November 28, 2023 at 11:25 am

    Touting methane (natural gas) as a less harmful ‘green energy transition fuel’ is a fraud perpetuated by the fossil fuel industry. If leakage from production to end use is greater than 4%, it is worse than any other fossil fuel when considering greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers have measured actual leakage rates at 6-8% and higher.

  46. @sarahg6325

    November 28, 2023 at 1:42 pm

    Damnit Calgary 😂

  47. @303Scott

    November 28, 2023 at 4:08 pm

    Princeton, MIT Scientists Say EPA Climate Regulations Based on a ‘Hoax’:
    “William Happer, professor emeritus in physics at Princeton University, and Richard Lindzen, professor emeritus of atmospheric science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), argued that the claims used by the EPA to justify the new regulations aren’t based on scientific facts but rather political opinions and speculative models that have consistently proven to be wrong.
    “The unscientific method of analysis, relying on consensus, peer review, government opinion, models that do not work, cherry-picking data and omitting voluminous contradictory data, is commonly employed in these studies and by the EPA in the Proposed Rule,” Mr. Happer and Mr. Lindzen wrote. “None of the studies provides scientific knowledge, and thus none provides any scientific support for the Proposed Rule.
    “All of the models that predict catastrophic global warming fail the key test of the scientific method: they grossly overpredict the warming versus actual data. The scientific method proves there is no risk that fossil fuels and carbon dioxide will cause catastrophic warming and extreme weather.”
    Climate models such as the ones that the EPA is using have been consistently wrong for decades in predicting actual outcomes, Mr. Happer told The Epoch Times. To illustrate his point, he presented the EPA with a table showing the difference between those models’ predictions and the observed data.”

  48. @djcubical

    November 28, 2023 at 9:14 pm

    I love how climate change scientists don’t include the Sun in the equation nor follow the 100 thousand years of climate change extracted from the ice in Antarctica. It is a big joke in my eyes. This guy should start eating bugs and get off the stage already.

  49. @macslapss50

    November 29, 2023 at 12:03 am

    jeez why everyone hating lol

  50. @DannyMaas

    November 30, 2023 at 1:44 am

    What about reducing the 8 billion pieces of live stock we call humans?

  51. @iloveaviation-burgerclub-a8145

    December 3, 2023 at 11:51 am

    Nobody speaks about methane. It is 1000 times bader but not as stable. While all are anti CO2 they substitute with LNG where extreme amounts are emited by just leakage. And all the dumps, animal farms, … will do the rest. It is just ridiculous how humanity tries hard to be stupid.

  52. @jenniferatkinson5519

    December 3, 2023 at 12:15 pm

    When you think about this….house wrap is used to prevent methane gas from entering your basement. I like the message this sends. By doing some composting (which I thought about doing anyway via Lomi, not only am I reducing waste that goes in my landfill. When he talks about low quality food, you don’t need a degree to understand this. Fried foods and fatty foods give you terrible digestion, while clean eating makes your life a lot easier. It would not kill anyone to listen to what he has to say.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending

Exit mobile version