A greenhouse gas has been discovered that is 7,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the planet.
The Toronto researchers who found the chemical, perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA), say that it breaks all records for potential impacts on the climate, the Guardian reports.
Very little research and no regulations current pertain to emission of the whole class of chemicals PFTBA belongs to. The electrical industry has used PFTBA since the mid-20th century, but it is unknown to what extent it is employed today.
Presently, the concentration of PFTBA in the atmosphere is very low, and it is vastly overshadowed by carbon dioxide in its affect on global warming.