Far more methane is leaking from oil and gas operations in the New Mexican Permian Basin than was previously known, new research shows. The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, used data collected by pollution sensors on airplanes flying over the major oil and gas region and found methane pollution from the region at levels six times higher than the latest EPA estimates. Methane, the main ingredient in so-called “natural gas,” traps 81 times more heat than CO2 over a 20-year period. The U.S. has made well-publicized moves to lead international efforts to cut methane pollution, which could be undermined by its recent pledge to increase liquified methane gas exports to Europe. (New York Times $, Axios, AP)