Linking ozone pollution and climate change: The case for controlling methane

[1] Methane (CH4) emission controls are found to be a powerful lever for reducing both global warming and air pollution via decreases in background tropospheric ozone (O-3). Reducing anthropogenic CH4 emissions by 50% nearly halves the incidence of U.S. high-O-3 events and lowers global radiative forcing by 0.37 W m(-2) (0.30 W m(-2) from CH4, 0.07 W m(-2) from O-3) in a 3-D model of tropospheric chemistry. A 2030 simulation based upon IPCC A1 emissions projections shows a longer and more intense U.S. O-3 pollution season despite domestic emission reductions, indicating that intercontinental transport and a rising O-3 background should be considered when setting air quality goals.