The UN is establishing a new system that uses satellite data to root out of sources of methane, a potent heat-trapping gas, and notify governments and businesses, it announced Friday.
The UN is establishing a new system that uses satellite data to root out of sources of methane, a potent heat-trapping gas, and notify governments and businesses, it announced Friday.
The new Methane Alert and Response System, part of the UN Environment Programme’s International Methane Emissions Observatory, will be the first publicly available global database of methane hot spots.
Methane traps 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide. But unlike carbon dioxide, methane lingers in the atmosphere for only around a decade, meaning that swift cuts to those emissions can help curb warming in the short term. Methane levels hit a new high this year, driven in part by leaks, venting, and flaring from oil and gas infrastructure.
Read more at Yale Environment 360
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