Methane is the second largest contributor to the climate crisis after carbon dioxide. On a pound-for-pound basis, methane traps 86 times more heat than carbon dioxide, making it far more potent and dangerous to our climate. The good news is that methane doesn’t stay in the atmosphere as long as other greenhouse gases, so decisive action to cut methane today can pay big dividends.
We’ve already taken some steps under this administration to rein in methane. With your help, we convinced Congress to roll back a disastrous Trump-era policy that let polluters off the hook for their methane emissions. Fortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency just released its first draft for new regulations to tackle methane and associated pollution from new and existing oil and gas operations, and it is taking feedback from the public. The draft is a good start, but there’s room for improvement — and we need you to push for even stronger protections.
We have the tools and technology to cut methane pollution from the oil and gas sector by as much as 65 percent below 2012 levels by 2025, but we need the government to act. Each year, the oil and gas industry releases 16 million metric tons of methane into the atmosphere, and without swift federal action, methane pollution from the industry will continue to skyrocket.
Not only does methane pollution from the oil and gas industry jeopardize the continued habitability of our planet, it poisons the communities adjacent to its extraction. Methane is released alongside toxic pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, and ethylbenzene, which can cause debilitating health problems for millions of people.
It's time to work together to cut methane pollution from the oil and gas industry, and EPA's engagement process is an opportunity to make your voice heard.
