New study exposes massive undercount of methane leaks from South Africa’s coal mines – The Mail & Guardian

New study exposes massive undercount of methane leaks from South Africa’s coal mines – The Mail & Guardian

South Africa, the world’s seventh-largest coal producer, faces a climate challenge that has largely flown under the radar: methane emissions from coal mines. Methane, a greenhouse gas more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, is a significant driver of global warming.  Yet coal mine methane (CMM) remains an overlooked issue in South Africa, which relies heavily on coal for electricity and primary energy supply, ac…