Exclusive: Fixing a leak can be simple and equivalent to closing a coal power station, making lack of action maddening, say analysts
The world’s worst mega-leaks of the potent greenhouse gas methane in 2025 have been revealed by an analysis of satellite data.
The super-polluting plumes from oil and gas facilities have a colossal heating impact on the climate but often result from poor maintenance and can be simple to fix. The assessment found dozens of mega-leaks, each having the same global heating impact as a coal-fired power station.
The researchers said it was “maddening” that such easy action to fight the climate crisis was not being taken, and said people should be angry. Stopping the leaks can even be free, given that captured gas can be sold – methane is the “natural gas” that fires power stations.
As a somewhat market economy believer , I even believe collective individual actions can help trigger corporate changes. Think of the huge chunk of climate change caused by fossil fuel industry. It’s maddening, and dwarfs anything people can affect.
But you can choose battery electric or human mobility, you can chose an electrified house, you can even chose to pay for all renewable electricity generation. We’re on the cusp of shrinking that fossil fuel industry. If only enough people would chose to go in that direction, the industry would have to follow and that would make a real difference
I blame government more than corps. Corps just act according to the market they’re in, morality isn’t relevant. But government’s role should be shaping the market to serve society, and they are abject failures. Government’s role should be to serve the people, not get captured by corps and a handful of ultra-wealthy. At this point the failure is malicious