Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas. While it does not last as long as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, methane absorbs more energy and consequently has a 100-year global warming potential 28 to 36 times greater than that of CO2. The major sources of methane emissions in the United States are energy production, distribution, and use; agriculture; and waste management.1
While the Trump administration’s June 1 announcement of its intention to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord has been widely discussed, the administration and Congress have simultaneously attempted to roll back Obama-era methane regulations. For instance, although Congress narrowly failed to undo the Bureau of Land Management’s 2016 regulation to reduce methane leaks on public lands and the waste of publicly owned gas (thanks to the votes of Republican Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Susan Collins), Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has since delayed implementation of parts of that rule.2
