Methane (CH4) from Nord Stream leaks has a powerful climate warming impact

On September 26th, the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which runs from Russia to Germany, has leaked 500,000 tons of Methane. The climate impact is equivalent to the annual emissions of 5.2 million cars according to a calculation by Bloomberg.

Although carbon dioxide (CO2) has been known for having long lasting effects on climate change, methane has more potent impacts especially in the short term due to its efficiency (80 times more than CO2) to trap radiation.

The below reference is an article from nature for the Nord Stream methane leaks.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03111-x