Methane Emissions from Fossil Fuels `Severely Underestimated´
(WorldNews Environment)

Human-caused emissions of methane from the extraction and use of fossil fuels may have been `severely underestimated`, a new study suggests. The research indicates that `natural` emissions of fossil methane, that seeps out of deeply-held reserves, make up a much smaller fraction of total methane emissions than previously thought. This means that the levels of fossil methane in the atmosphere are likely being driven by the methane escaping as coal, oil and natural gas are mined, drilled and transported. The implication is that methane emissions from fossil fuels are 25-40% higher than earlier estimates suggest, the lead researcher tells Carbon Brief. The findings indicate that `the...