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Methane. CH4.

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It's a powerful greenhouse gas with over 25 times

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the atmospheric warming potential of carbon dioxide.

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Invisible to the human eye, methane can spew from oil

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and gas operations, agriculture and landfills.

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We have about 2600 landfills across the U.S.

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and many are well operated.

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Here in Raleigh, we have one of the best controlled sites

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that I've seen in the country, and a great example of being a good neighbor

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and making sure that they really control that methane.

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With the NASA methane data, the EPA's more effective

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in identifying the landfills that are most harmful to our environment.

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Tracking human caused methane emissions from space

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is a relatively efficient, rapid approach that can inform our efforts

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to combat climate change in the near term.

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Using the vantage point of space,

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NASA's scientists are now able to pinpoint methane emissions at the source.

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Methane is just a small fraction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

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But because methane molecules are efficient at trapping heat,

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they contribute significantly to global warming.

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With new observation based maps from NASA, agencies,

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governments and facility operators can identify abnormally high emissions

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and take action to stop or reduce them.

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This saves resources, long term operating costs

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and improves human health through better air quality.

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Reducing emissions from large sources

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is a quick way to reduce warming over coming decades.

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But reducing methane emissions is just one step

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in the fight against climate change.

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We also have to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from human activities,

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the main driver of climate change and critical to limiting global warming.

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Unlike methane, carbon dioxide molecules can stay in the atmosphere for centuries.

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Slowly, but steadily warming our planet.

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To track changes in carbon dioxide and methane emissions, NASA uses data

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from its satellites, along with data from federal and international partners.

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Stitching these data together with complex numerical models

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to get the most complete picture of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,

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These data sets are critical for demonstrating the consistency

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of satellite data records and showing that our efforts to reduce

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emissions are effective at slowing climate change.

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With NASA data, we understand how much methane is coming out of landfills.

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We look at the measurement data to prioritize which landfills to inspect.

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It's a pivotal time not just for EPA, but for all humankind.