The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. December 24, 2015 California: Gas Leak Spews 150 Million Pounds of Methane into Atmosphere ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In California, state officials are warning of ecological disaster as a runaway natural gas leak from a storage facility in the hills above Los Angeles continues to emit methane gas. Some 150 million pounds of methane have escaped so far. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Tim O'Connor with the Environmental Defense Fund said, "It is one of the biggest leaks we've ever seen reported. It is coming out with force, in incredible volumes. And it is absolutely uncontained." The breach has forced the evacuation of 1,700 homes and two schools. The exact cause of the leak is unknown. .