Scorch said, “Orak, can you think of something fun we could do?”
Orak thought for a few moments and then summoned something from the human world. He presented the colorful box to Scorch and Verum. It was a 300-piece jigsaw puzzle of a Halloween night! Verum whooped in delight. Scorch high-fived Felix. The Gifted Four loved solving jigsaw puzzles together.
They opened the box and placed the pieces on the floor. Just as the Mysticals were about to complete the inky-blue sky, Verum’s crystal ball began humming. She said, “Shall we take a break?”
“Of course,” replied Felix, “Do share the news with us, Verum!”
“Over the past few weeks, we have been talking about climate change a lot,” started Verum, “We have discussed its impact on the weather, causing floods, heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. But it’s equally important to discuss what can be done to prevent further global warming and climate change.”
“You’re right, Verum,” said Scorch, “I have a feeling that today’s news is about this.”
“Yes, it is!” replied Verum, “Felix, tell me something. When we talk about tackling climate change, we usually talk about which greenhouse gas?”
“Carbon dioxide of course,” answered Felix, “It traps the sun’s rays into the atmosphere causing the temperature to rise. Its chemical formula is CO2”
“What if I told you that there’s a gas that is much more powerful at trapping heat than CO2?” said Verum, “It’s called methane. Its chemical formula is CH4. It is short-lived and less abundant than CO2 but its short-term impact on global warming is 80 times greater than CO2.”
“Whoa,” exclaimed a surprised Orak.
“And 60% of the world’s methane emissions are produced through human activities such as agriculture, waste disposal methods like landfills, and fossil fuel production,” said Verum, “Since methane is a colorless and odorless gas, it’s difficult to locate leaks from natural gas pipelines, oil fields, and landfills. But humans have thought of a solution!”
“What is it?” said Orak.
“Satellites!” replied Verum, “Through new and cutting-edge satellite technology, methane leaks can be detected from space. These satellites include Carbon Mapper, MethaneSAT, Sentinel 5P, Prisma, and others.”
“With these satellites, humans can take rapid action against methane emissions,” continued Verum, “This will really help in the fight against climate change.”