As a step toward combating global warming, the Obama Administration has released its strategy to reduce methane-emissions in the US. The Administration’s goal is for emissions to be cut by 2020 to 17% below 2005 levels. The methane-reduction strategy for oil and gas production includes updating standards for public lands and supporting technologies for detecting and monitoring leaks in pipelines. The Administration will support capturing emissions and recovering energy in landfills and from coal mining. The USDA and DOE will work to promote methane digestion and use of biogas by the agricultural industry. The DOE, EPA, NASA, NIST, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will continue and expand upon their programs for monitoring methane. The strategy also supports advancing methods of measuring and monitoring methane emissions and sources. It calls for developing methods to improve monitoring and validating levels of methane in the atmosphere and for improving data for measuring emissions from their sources. The DOE will fund the development of technologies for measuring emissions at lower cost.

Source: The White House