Methane Emissions, Nowhere to Hide from Detection and Compliance Monitoring with Newly Launched Satellite

Climate change is often synonymous with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. But there is another greenhouse gas (GHG) that is also a contributor: methane (CH 4 ), a short‐lived but extremely potent GHG. Methane emissions behave differently than CO 2 emissions when emitted into the atmosphere. The warming effects of CH 4 wear off quickly compared to CO 2 , which remains in the atmosphere for centuries. But what it lacks in retention time, it makes up for in potency: CH 4 has approximately 80 times the warming impact of CO 2 over a 20‐year period. That means it has a greater impact on near‐term (20‐year) temperature change. When CH 4 escapes (or is released) into the atmosphere, it acts as a heavy blanket in the atmosphere, trapping the sun's heat and warming the world.