A new Cornell University study finds that a global surge in methane gas emissions over the past decade is largely due to the fracking boom in the U.S. and Canada. Publishing in the journal Biogeosciences, professor Robert Howarth finds the recent increase in methane gas emissions is massive, with chemical fingerprints indicating a large increase of leaked gas from shale drilling. Methane is far more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, and methane is the second-largest greenhouse gas contributor.