Yes, I agree - I'd rather they flare methane and not just leak it. But I wanted to ensure that people didn't think methane just harmlessly decays away. Water va

Yes, I agree - I'd rather they flare methane and not just leak it. But I wanted to ensure that people didn't think methane just harmlessly decays away. Water vapour at high altitudes causes green house warming, as does the co2 - so while it isn't as bad once decayed, it isn't harmless.