Methane emissions from oil and natural gas activities accounts for only 1.7% of all Green House Gas Emissions in the U.S. And, oil and gas related activities is not the largest contributor to methane emissions; it's livestock (primarily pigs and cows);

"In 2004, cows, pigs and other livestock expelled more than 13 million tons (12.2 megatons) of methane, from both manure and escaping body gas, according to the study, published June 26 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. The EPA estimated 9.7 million tons (8.8 teragrams) of methane from livestock in 2004."

"That same year, the researchers found 7 million tons (7.2 teragrams) of methane came from oil and gas operations. The EPA attributed 9.9 million tons (9.0 teragrams) to oil and gas industries."

The source of these quotes is from this article and the cited study; "Natural Gas? Cows Toot Out Most Methane."

http://www.livescience.com/46743-cows-methane-new-measurement-metho...

So I say to all of you anti methane emissions activists, we don't need more oil and gas regulations! Eat more beef, save the atmosphere!

Here is some more info for your reading pleasure:

Why target an industry whose emissions are low and continuing to fall – and the reason the U.S. has achieved dramatic reductions in emissions?

It’s interesting that these groups continue to focus so heavily on the oil and gas industry, when oil and gas exploration and production only accounts for a little more than one percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, as the below chart shows:

Even if you’re considering the entire oil and natural gas system (which includes activities outside of exploration and production), livestock overtook natural gas systems last year as the largest source of methane emissions in the United States.  That data can be seen in the following chart from EPA’s greenhouse gas inventory: combining the numbers for enteric fermentation (cows) and manure management, agriculture emits 7 percent more methane than the entire oil and natural gas system.

All of this leads to some important questions: Why are these groups targeting an industry whose emissions make up a small part of the puzzle – and are low and continue to fall?  Why aren’t they calling for lower emissions in industries that are emitting much more methane? Why are they trying to stop the one fuel that is responsible for bringing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to a 27 year low?

The bottom line is that if they truly cared about tackling climate change, they would be stanch supporters of natural gas.  Instead, they just push misinformation at every turn.