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Global methane emissions rose steeply in the last decades of the 20th century and then leveled off. But around 2006, they started heading up again. Why? What was the source? Scientists were baffled. (Jonathan Mingle wrote a great story for Undark) vox.com/energy-and-env…
2/ “There are two broad sources of methane emissions: biogenic (plant and animal-based) and fossil fuel production. The former is mainly about agriculture (cow burps, pig poop, rotting organic waste) and tropical wetlands.”
3/. “As for the latter, methane is leaked or deliberately “flared” (burned off) at virtually every stage of fossil fuel production and transport, a problem that is notoriously bad for fracked shale gas and tight oil.”
4/. recent studies largely traced the recent spike in methane to biogenic sources, mainly because recent atmospheric methane has been “lighter”.
Generally speaking, fossil fuel production produces heavier methane and biogenic sources produce lighter methane.
Generally speaking, fossil fuel production produces heavier methane and biogenic sources produce lighter methane.
5/ “Generally speaking, fossil fuel production produces heavier methane and biogenic sources produce lighter methane, so researchers have taken the trend as an indication that the recent spike is mostly biogenic in origin.”
6/. “But it was a perplexing finding, one that the Science authors characterized as “unexpected, given the recent boom in unconventional gas production and reported resurgence in coal mining and the Asian economy.”
7/ Howarth & colleagues at Cornell have been arguing for yrs that natural gas methane emissions are much ⬆️ than the Gov estimates or industry admits, enough to wipe out its supposed climate advantage over coal
Their controversial estimates are at the v.top end
Their controversial estimates are at the v.top end
8/ He points to 2 overlooked facts.
1st, 63% of the total increase in global natural gas production in the 21st C has come from shale gas. And 2nd, shale gas production using modern hydrofracturing techniques tends to produce lighter methane than conventional natural gas drilling
1st, 63% of the total increase in global natural gas production in the 21st C has come from shale gas. And 2nd, shale gas production using modern hydrofracturing techniques tends to produce lighter methane than conventional natural gas drilling
9/. But what is the Trump administration doing?
Deregulating the industry and driving up fracking such that more than 700 fracked gas infrastructur projects have either been recently built or proposed to be developed.
They are killing our planet.
Deregulating the industry and driving up fracking such that more than 700 fracked gas infrastructur projects have either been recently built or proposed to be developed.
They are killing our planet.
