Methane pollution is increasing dramatically, globally and in major U.S. fracking regions, despite a U.S.-led initiative to cut down on emissions of the potent heat-trapping gas, a new report from Kayrros says. Methane traps more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere than CO2 over a 20 year period. The data, collected by satellite, show methane emissions in the Permian Basin in the first quarter of 2022 were 47% higher than in Q1 of 2021 — an increase greater than oil and gas extraction in the region — with methane pollution from Appalachian shale regions telling a “similar story.” A substantial part of the increased pollution comes from privately-owned operations under no obligation to report their methane emissions. Last fall, the U.S. was at the forefront of a global, voluntary, pledge to reduce methane pollution by 30% by 2030. (Washington Post $, E&E $, Axios)