Cutting methane doesn’t just slow warming — it improves health

Not only does methane have more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide in the first 20 years after its release, it also threatens our health in other ways. That’s because when methane, the main component of natural gas, leaks from oil and gas infrastructure, it’s not alone. Other pollutants are released along with it, including volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and more. These co-pollutants contribute to ground-level ozone, which is linked to serious health issues like respiratory and cardiovascular disease, cancer and stroke. 

In this short film produced for Environmental Defense Fund by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions, EDF scientists Daniel Zavala-Araiza and Julia Gohlke spotlight affordable solutions that are available today to cut methane emissions. They also explain how EDF’s MethaneSAT satellite will be able to measure methane like never before, providing a powerful means of accountability for communities and governments around the world.