In a major advance in alternative fuel technology, researchers report development of a sponge-like material with the highest methane storage capacity ever measured. It can hold almost one-third more methane than the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) target level for methane-powered cars, they report in a new study.

As long as there are people on the planet, there will be garbage. The rubbish often piles up in landfills that produce a harmful greenhouse gas called methane. VOA's Stephanie Ho reports solid waste managers have been working to turn this methane into something good -- namely, clean energy.

China faces serious safety issues in the country's coal mines. Tunneling and other accidents reportedly kill more than 5,000 coal miners every year. About 80 percent of China's coal mining-related deaths are attributed to methane gas explosions. China's coal mines releasing methane gas are also responsible for nearly 40 percent of the country's air pollution.