Russia Surpasses Nigeria in Gas Flaring

A new study of satellite images by the NOAA shows that in 2006 Russia surpassed Nigeria to become the world’s most prolific gas flarer. “Flaring” is a process by which unusable or excess natural gas is released by a pressure valve and burned – releasing tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This blog has argued that this environmental problem is made worse in Russia by the government-ordered monopoly on pipelines.