A new study led by HUCE Faculty Associate Daniel Jacob uncovers that between 2010 and 2019, planet-warming methane pollution from the US oil and gas industry was 70% higher than the EPA's own estimates
By Ella Nilsen, CNN
Planet-warming methane pollution from the US oil and gas industry was 70% higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s own estimates between 2010 and 2019, scientists reported Monday.
The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests the federal government’s current system for detecting methane leaks from fossil fuel pipes, wells and compressors is inadequate. Several recent studies have shown similar results, and scientists now say the EPA needs to leverage new technology to get a fuller picture of how much of this potent greenhouse gas is escaping into the atmosphere and hold companies accountable for the leaks.
Methane, the main component of natural gas and a byproduct of fossil fuel drilling, has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide in the first two decades it’s in the atmosphere. The oil and gas industry is the main source of global methane emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. Levels have risen precipitously in recent years, and scientists are looking at the gas as a target to cut climate emissions quickly because it has such a powerful warming effect.