Satellite data finds landfills are methane ‘super emitters’

By SIBI ARASU
Associated Press

BENGALURU, India (AP) — Landfills are releasing large amounts of planet-warming methane gas into the atmosphere from the decomposition of waste and are a significant contributor to such emissions in urban areas, a study suggests. Scientists used satellite data from  Delhi and Mumbai in India, Lahore in Pakistan and Buenos Aires in Argentina and identified specific locations in each city that persistently emit high methane levels, all of which were landfills. The cities’ overall methane emissions from all sources were 1.4 to 2.6 times higher than previous estimates. The study, published in Science Advances on Wednesday, is aimed at helping local governments carry out targeted efforts to limit global warming by pinpointing specific sites of major concern.