CO2 is no longer the bad boy on the block. Scientists have discovered a new greenhouse gas, and it is a  devastating 7,000 times more powerful.

The researchers from the University of Toronto have discovered that perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA) has been used by the electrical industry since the mid 20th century. It can have a huge impact on warming the planet too. The scientists posit that it is 7,100 times more powerful at warming the Earth over a 100 year time span than CO2.

That means, PFTBA has the highest radiative efficiency of any molecule detected in the atmosphere to date. One of the researchers pointed out that . "Fortunately for us, the concentration of PFTBA in the atmosphere is extremely low, at just 0.18 parts per trillion (at least, in the Toronto area) compared to 400 parts per million for carbon dioxide".

PFTBA has been used to manufacture transistors and capacitors and they remain in the air for about 500 years. At least CO2 gets to party off with the forests and oceans. Thankfully, nothing much to worry just yet. CO2 is still the bad boy on the block, after all.

The research is published in Geophysical Research Letters.

[Geophysical Research Letters via Guardian]