LiveScience: The federal government has underestimated methane emissions from the United States by 50 percent for the past 20 years, according to a comprehensive new study.
Methane, also called natural gas, is a powerful but short-lived greenhouse gas. It lasts just nine years in Earth's atmosphere but is about 34 times more potent at trapping infrared radiation (the greenhouse effect) than carbon dioxide, which is more abundant and lasts longer. While methane spews into the sky from both natural sources,...