To the editor:

The Sept. 9 Mankato Free Press editorial said: “Of all the greenhouse gases (GHG), methane is one of the most potent because it so efficiently absorbs heat in Earth’s atmosphere. It is dozens of times greater at warming the Earth than carbon dioxide (CO2).” Actually, methane’s heat capacity (kJ/kgK) at constant volume is only about 2.5 times that of CO2. The “dozens of times greater” comes if methane is propagated over a hundred years, according to the EPA.

Of all GHGs, water vapor (WV) is the most abundant. There is over 25 times more WV than CO2; and over 5000 times more WV than methane.

How much more heat is held by WV, compared to CO2, and methane? WV holds about 55 times more heat in the atmosphere than all CO2; and holds about 4310 times more heat than all methane in the atmosphere

Now we need to look at the man-made portion of CO2 and methane. WV is holding about 1375 times more heat than man’s CO2; and about 8620 more heat than man-made methane.

Does it make sense that man’s microscopic contribution to the heat retention budget is going to send us up in flames? Of course not. No need for ‘Climate Strike’ hysteria.

Phil Drietz

Delhi