Turkmenistan Begins Plugging World's Worst Methane Leaks — SkimNews
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- Methane traps more than 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period and is responsible for 25% of global heating today
- Guardian environment editor Damian Carrington reported in 2023 on 1,000 super-emitting methane leaks detected across the globe
- Turkmenistan, identified as the worst country for mega-leaks, has now begun to plug them
- Some experts characterize stopping these leaks as the climate "emergency brake" because of methane's short-term warming potency
- The Guardian video reveals which countries are still failing to act on methane emissions
- Madeleine Finlay interviews Carrington about both the progress and the countries still lagging
Why it matters: Methane reductions are among the fastest available levers to slow warming, yet with 1,000 super-emitting leaks still venting globally and even the worst offender — Turkmenistan — only beginning repairs, the gap between a known fix and political follow-through determines how much near-term warming is avoidable.
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