Methane abatement is the set of techniques for capturing, destroying, or preventing the release of methane, a greenhouse gas with roughly 80 times the near-term warming potential of carbon dioxide. Approaches include flaring, combustion in engines or turbines, and conversion of otherwise-vented or flared gas into useful energy. In the Bitcoin context it underpins the use of stranded or waste methane to power mining as an emissions-reduction strategy.
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- Because methane traps far more heat than CO2 over short horizons, combusting it (even without useful work) yields a large net warming reduction. Bitcoin miners deployed at oil wells or landfills can consume vented or flared gas on-site, converting a wasted emission into electricity and an economic incentive to abate.