Colorado researchers say methane from palm oil could fuel tropical cities

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photo: palm oil
A biogas power system in Thailand that transforms methane from palm oil into renewable energy.

Palm oil production is among the worst offenders when it comes to the amount of methane escaping into the atmosphere. The numbers are bad news for climate change, but CU researchers say there could be an upside. They suggest capturing the leaky gas and turning it into a renewable energy source.

Philip Taylor is a scientist at CU’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research and the lead author on the palm oil study. It's published in the journal Nature Climate Change.