Are we only “scratching the surface” with methane? [Video]

The amount of the powerful climate-changing gas methane spilling out of oil and gas equipment, coal mines and landfills globally is nowhere near fully documented and what is known is “only scratching the surface” according to the CEO of one the companies that tracks methane with its own satellites.

Rather than improving, the methane emissions problem is worsening according to Stephane Germain of GHGSat. “The past year, we’ve detected more emissions than ever before,” he said.

Since late 2023, GHGSat satellites detected about 20,000 sites worldwide that qualify as super-emitters, or sites hemorrhaging at 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of methane per hour.

That marks a major increase over the year before when the company detected about 15,000 super-emitting sites.

Germain said the numbers were rounded to enable a discussion of emissions since countries made pledges to reduce methane at the 2023 global climate talks known as COP28, in Dubai. He …