Methane is a greenhouse gas that is released by farming, mining, fossil fuel drilling, and by melting permafrost. For climate scientists, the increasing emissions are a major concern, and the 2021 COP26 emphasized the need to reduce atmospheric methane quickly. But reduction is a serious challenge. A potential solution has been developed by the Plata lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In this discussion, Dr. Plata explains the serious challenge of methane emissions and an ingenious solution created in her lab: an inexpensive system using zeolite clays and copper. This solution is still in development, but is receiving a lot of attention. IMAGE CREDITS: [“Methane Leaking through the Cracks,” by NASA Earth Observatory. Image cropped. CC BY 2.0](https://www.flickr.com/photos/68824346@N02/7165132252) # Resources [It Might Be Time to Take Methane Removal Seriously](https://www.wired.com/story/it-might-be-time-to-take-methane-removal-seriously/) [A dirt-cheap solution? Common clay materials may help curb methane emissions](https://news.mit.edu/2022/dirt-cheap-solution-common-clay-materials-may-help-curb-methane-emissions) [How an ingredient found in cat litter could help fight climate change](https://www.fastcompany.com/90711976/how-an-ingredient-found-in-cat-litter-could-help-fight-climate-change) [Methane Leaks in New Mexico Far Exceed Current Estimates, Study Suggests](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/climate/methane-leaks-new-mexico.html?campaign_id=54&emc=edit_clim_20220325&instance_id=56747&nl=climate-forward®i_id=74549671&segment_id=86590&te=1&user_id=555ee595e2e27c47f3dee1879dce3a3f)
