Nord Stream pipelines may have leaked a record-breaking amount of methane


While the series of gas leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines have finally stopped, the multiple explosions from the past week are estimated to have caused the largest single emission of methane in history, NPR reports
Approximately half a million metric tons of methane — five times larger than the last largest spill in Aliso Canyon in California in 2015 — was released across three leaks, per NPR.
European leaders have decried the pipeline leaks as sabotage, but have been unable to pinpoint a direct offender. Russian President Vladimir Putin has directly accused the west of sabotaging the pipelines, an allegation the U.S. and its international allies have firmly denied, NPR continues.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Methane is the main component of natural gas, which is transported through the pipelines. It can trap heat 80 times better than carbon dioxide, and doesn't last as long in the atmosphere; that said, its potency yields substantial immediate effects on climate change and global warming.
Though the leak was large, it was only equivalent to approximately a day or two of fossil fuel industry emissions. Methane has caused 30 percent of the global warming witnessed to date, according to the International Energy Agency, underscoring the larger issue of fossil fuel pollution.
Manfredi Caltagirone, head of the International Methane Emissions Observatory, remarked, "It is important to put it in context of a larger problem that we have, that we need to fix."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
How is Trump's economy doing?
Talking Points The latest jobs numbers suggest a slowdown in the offing
-
The most fun road trips are the ones with the least curveballs. Use these tips to get there.
The Week Recommends The music blaring, the windows wide open and a carefree drive
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Scientists discover cause of massive sea star die-off
Speed Read A bacteria related to cholera has been found responsible for the deaths of more than 5 billion sea stars
-
'Thriving' ecosystem found 30,000 feet undersea
Speed Read Researchers discovered communities of creatures living in frigid, pitch-black waters under high pressure
-
What would happen to Earth if humans went extinct?
The Explainer Human extinction could potentially give rise to new species and climates
-
Bacteria can turn plastic waste into a painkiller
Under the radar The process could be a solution to plastic pollution
-
New York plans first nuclear plant in 36 years
Speed Read The plant, to be constructed somewhere in upstate New York, will produce enough energy to power a million homes
-
Dehorning rhinos sharply cuts poaching, study finds
Speed Read The painless procedure may be an effective way to reduce the widespread poaching of rhinoceroses
-
Breakthrough gene-editing treatment saves baby
speed read KJ Muldoon was healed from a rare genetic condition
-
Sea lion proves animals can keep a beat
speed read A sea lion named Ronan beat a group of college students in a rhythmic dance-off, says new study