Global warming methane pollution from the US oil and gas industry was 70 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's own estimates between 2010 and 2019. A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that the federal government’s current system for detecting methane leaks from fossil-fuel pipelines, wells and compressors is inadequate. Several recent studies have shown similar results, and scientists now say the EPA needs to use new technology to get a more complete picture of how much of the potent greenhouse gas is leaking into the atmosphere and to hold companies accountable for leaks. Methane, a major component of natural gas and a byproduct of fossil-fuel drilling, has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide in the first two decades it’s in the atmosphere. The oil and gas industry is the leading source of global methane emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. Levels have risen sharply in recent years, and scientists see the gas as a target for rapid reductions in climate emissions because it has such a strong warming effect. ( Ella Nilsen)