Methane

Taken together, the world’s reservoirs have as big an impact on the Earth’s climate as the population of Canada.

Solar and wind power are important, but really solving the climate crisis will take a whole new generation of energy-efficient technologies, and even new companies to develop them. But there’s a growing force in the field — the green tech incubator.

As federal and state governments attempt to reduce methane leaks from oil and gas operations, scientists are still trying to figure out just how much of it actually escapes from pipes, valves, tanks and gas wells.

A team of atmospheric scientists from Harvard combined satellite data with ground observations to calculate global methane emissions — and the new figures are causing concern.

Since October, a leaking underground natural gas storage facility near Los Angeles has released vast amounts of methane into the atmosphere, becoming one of the nation’s worst environmental accidents. Some experts believe this disaster may be a harbinger of what’s ahead for these aging storage facilities.