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Methane Leaks At Gas Wells Contribute To Climate Change

A worker stands by a natural gas well in Susquehanna County, Pa. (Susan Phillips/StateImpact Pennsylvania)
A worker stands by a natural gas well in Susquehanna County, Pa. (Susan Phillips/StateImpact Pennsylvania)

President Obama’s plan to combat climate change relies heavily on replacing coal with natural gas. That would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that electric plants pour into the atmosphere.

But some question the climate benefits of burning natural gas because its main component, methane, comes with it’s own problems.

From the Here & Now Contributors Network, Susan Phillips of StateImpact Pennsylvania goes out in the field with researchers from Carnegie Mellon University trying to measure the climate trade-off between coal and natural gas.

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