Why We Can’t Ignore Nitrous Oxide - The Climate Threat You’ve Never Heard Of

When we think about climate change, carbon dioxide and methane are often the first culprits that come to mind, responsible for a large share of global warming. But lurking in the background is a super pollutant that many of us have never heard of: nitrous oxide. It’s a gas 270 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to trapping heat, and it’s quietly sabotaging our chances of keeping global warming under 1.5°C, the goal set by the Paris Agreement. 

The new United Nations Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment delivers a wake-up call that we can’t afford to hit the snooze button on. Nitrous oxide emissions are rising faster than expected, and unless we take urgent action, this little-known gas will cause considerable damage- not just to the climate but to human health and the ozone layer, too.

The good news is that practical, immediately implementable solutions exist today, which can reduce nitrous oxide emissions by over 40%.

Why Should You Care About Nitrous Oxide?

Put simply, if we don’t tackle nitrous oxide, we make it much harder to keep the planet from overheating. This gas is responsible for around 10% of global warming since the industrial revolution and its emissions are still on the rise. It’s now the most significant ozone-depleting substance being emitted, threatening to roll back years of progress made by the Montreal Protocol, the international agreement to heal the ozone layer.

But now, if nitrous oxide emissions keep growing, we could see increased UV radiation levels. That means more cases of skin cancer, cataracts, and other health impacts.

It’s Not Just About Climate, It’s About Your Health

Reducing nitrous oxide emissions isn’t just about preventing a distant future climate disaster. It’s about improving our lives right now. Air quality affects us all, whether we live in a bustling city or a rural area. Nitrous oxide emissions go hand-in-hand with other nitrogen compounds that make air pollution worse, and cutting these emissions could prevent up to 20 million premature deaths by 2050, primarily due to respiratory and cardio-vascular problems caused by poor air quality.

Nitrous oxide emissions also contribute to nitrogen pollution in water, creating runoff that degrades soil health, contaminating waterbodies, and harming ecosystems. So, by addressing this problem, we’re not just helping the climate, we’re protecting our food systems, water, and natural habitats. 

The Agricultural Elephant in the Room

Nitrous oxide emissions come mainly from agriculture and farming, through the production of fertilizers we rely on to grow our food. 

But we can continue to grow enough food to nutritiously feed the world while reducing nitrous oxide, we just need smarter farming. Changes like improving how we manage fertilizers, using more efficient farming techniques, and adopting better manure management practices can make a huge difference. These aren’t pie-in-the-sky ideas; they’re proven methods that can be rolled out right now if we choose to prioritize them.

While agriculture is the main player, it’s not the only one. Nitrous oxide is also released from certain industrial processes, particularly in the chemical industry. The good news? These emissions are “low-hanging fruit,” and they can be reduced quickly and affordably with existing technology. 

The Time to Act is Now 

If we don’t act on nitrous oxide, our chances of limiting global warming to 1.5°C shrink considerably. A warmer world means more intense heat waves, wildfires, floods, and storms. It means food shortages, migration, and economic instability. It also means greater health impacts, as more people are exposed to UV radiation and polluted air.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. While the Assessment raises the alarm, it also offers a roadmap for solutions. The tools to address nitrous oxide are already in our hands. What we need is the will to use them. Farmers can adopt more efficient practices, industries can implement existing emission-reduction technologies, and policymakers can create incentives for these changes to happen faster, including through encouraging dietary shifts towards less animal protein intake.  

Whether you’re concerned about the planet your children will inherit, the food you eat, the air you breathe, or even your risk of skin cancer, nitrous oxide matters. And addressing nitrous oxide emissions provides positive benefits on each of these fronts. 

Let’s make sure nitrous oxide is no longer the climate and health threat that nobody talks about. It’s time to put it front and center, where it belongs.