Global methane emissions increased by more than ever last year, breaking a record that stood for exactly one year, NOAA said Thursday. A massive portion of human-caused methane pollution comes from oil and gas operations, everywhere from wellheads to pipelines to kitchen stoves. Atmospheric methane traps more than 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period, and its potency combined with its shorter atmospheric lifespan make cutting methane pollution the most efficient way to limit near-term warming. The Biden administration helped lead an effort to sign more than 100 countries onto a Global Methane Pledge to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030. (Washington Post $, AP, E&E $, New York Times $, Reuters, Axios, Politico Pro $, CNN, The Hill, USA Today, CNBC, NBC, CBS, USA Today, The Guardian)