A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change meeting this week in Bangkok states that one overlooked cause of global warming is the rice fields that cover much of Thailand, the rest of Asia and beyond.

Methane emissions from flooded rice paddies contribute to warming just as coal-fired power plants, automobile exhausts and other sources do with the carbon dioxide they release into the atmosphere.

In fact, the AP (via the Winston-Salem Journal) writes that rice production was a main cause of rising methane emissions in the 20th century. Who knew?