Methane

chemistry · greenhouse gas · natural gas · climate

Fuel we use everywhere. Methane is the main part of natural gas that heats homes, cooks food, and powers electricity plants around the world.

Invisible heat-trapper. Even though you can't see methane in the air, it absorbs heat from the sun like an invisible blanket, warming our planet.

Simplest carbon molecule. Methane is made of just one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms, making it the easiest carbon compound in nature.

Gas at normal conditions. Unlike many other fuels, methane is a gas at room temperature, which makes it tricky to capture and store safely.

Comes from many sources. Methane bubbles up from swamps, rice fields, cow stomachs, and underground fossil fuel deposits.