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Methane Leaks Are Speeding Climate Change

Despite its powerful greenhouse gas properties, methane isn’t well-known to the public. The EPA’s new rule for coal-fired power plants only addresses this scourge in power plants. That’s unfortunate since methane is hundreds of times more potent than carbon dioxide, so plugging these leaks is crucial to combating climate change. Amongst all the furry porn featured on the platform we can find many news about the matter, but no one seems to be listening. So how do we know that we are experiencing these leaks?

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas

Researchers can now identify the largest sources of methane emissions and have calculated the emissions of these emitters as a fraction of the total carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These “ultra emitters” are essentially part of the petroleum industry and are concentrated in significant oil and gas-producing basins. However, they are still far from the source of most of the emissions.

Secretive methane leaks significantly contribute to climate change, particularly in Central Asia, which is home to the world’s largest gas reserves. The state is highly secretive about methane production, with Soviet-era technology hindering its development. But according to Kayrros, a climate scientist from Penn State University, 31 of the 50 worst leaks globally in 2019 occurred in Turkmenistan, along with Venezuela, Iran, Algeria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.

Regardless of the source of methane, it is an enormous contributor to climate change.

Methane has a much higher warming effect than carbon dioxide despite its small size. And the two gases are different in how they break down in the atmosphere. Methane molecules emitted today are 80 times more potent than CO2 molecules by 2045. If these emissions are to be reduced to zero, it will slow global warming instantly.

Moreover, only a fraction of the wells is responsible for methane emissions. Therefore, retrofitting them would dramatically reduce emissions. And capturing methane would add to the costs of the retrofitting process.

Some researchers question the long-term efficacy of short-term calculations and recommend a separate target for methane emissions. They believe that it will be more reliable to target methane cuts instead of CO2 reductions, as the former has the potential to increase global warming, we can get steaming hot according to predictions, surpassing even to when we watch some sexy porn. In addition, if methane cuts are successful, they may allow governments to focus their limited resources on methane emissions instead. However, some scientists are cautioned against over-reliance on these measures, as the reductions in carbon dioxide will likely only worsen matters.

It can warm the planet

If you are an environmentalist, you know the power of methane to warm the planet. It lingers in the atmosphere for less time than CO2 but is far more potent at warming the earth in the short term. Methane is nearly 80 times more potent than CO2 at warming the planet in a short time. By comparison, CO2 molecules will remain more powerful at warming the world for 100 years.

Methane leaks have the potential to warm the planet significantly. For example, the most recent super-emitter event occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in December 2021, when an oil and gas platform discharged 40,000 tonnes of methane over 17 days. This release of methane is equivalent to three percent of Mexico’s total oil and gas emissions yearly. The European Space Agency captured the emissions from this leak with its satellites.

Methane is the second-leading contributor to climate change after CO2.

However, it has received less attention than CO2, which has been the primary focus of climate action for many years. The goal of reducing CO2 emissions is a lofty one, but methane emissions must also be cut at the source. The resulting reductions in both methane and CO2 will stabilize the climate.

Methane does not have as long of an effect on global warming as carbon dioxide. However, it is more potent than carbon dioxide at warming the planet on a 20-year timescale. The Arctic Ocean is home to immense amounts of methane stored in the form of methane hydrates, equivalent to three to 30 times the total carbon dioxide emissions since the Industrial Revolution. It is not difficult to understand why methane is so potent.

It can be removed from the air

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, far more so than carbon dioxide. Scientists are worried that a sudden surge in methane emissions will undermine efforts by governments to hold planetary warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, climate negotiators underestimate methane’s warming potential by a factor of three. Moreover, governments are not sufficiently addressing methane emissions with less than a quarter century to achieve net-zero emissions under the 2015 Paris Agreement. 

While there are various measures to limit methane emissions, most focus is not on the issue of methane-producing infrastructure. Instead, these measures include plugging abandoned gas wells, sealing pipelines, covering landfills, and preventing crop waste.

Scientists estimate that converting half of the atmosphere’s methane to carbon dioxide would only raise the carbon content in the atmosphere by 0.2 percent – a tiny amount. However, this change would save 16 percent of the total amount of radiative warming emitted by the atmosphere. This is an excellent example of why the methane-reduction plan must be pursued. However, it would require substantial money and a significant amount of work to cut the emissions from the methane-producing sectors.

Scientists have uncovered the latest methane super-emitter event in the Gulf of Mexico. An oil and gas platform discharged 40,000 tonnes of methane over 17 days in December 2021 – equivalent to 3 percent of Mexico’s annual oil and gas emissions. The European Space Agency’s satellite could detect and capture the emissions from this massive leak. And because the emissions are uncontrolled, the climate will get worse.

It is likely to be thousands of years old

A new study has revealed that the United States is responsible for the most significant percentage of methane emissions – 544,000 tons a year – from a gas-rich region in North Texas. That’s more than the entire population of Connecticut and Nevada combined. The study was led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which found that the number of methane emissions globally increased by about 25 percent after 2006. It also concluded that methane-emitting facilities were responsible for between 12 and 19 million tons of methane, the equivalent of the annual emissions of 40 million people.

Scientists have previously estimated that methane emissions from the energy sector are responsible for about 134 MT of methane annually. Unfortunately, most of this methane comes from poorly managed oil and gas installations, which rely on outdated, inefficient infrastructure. In addition, these “leaky” fossil fuel installations are often not adequately maintained, meaning they leak methane despite being inspected regularly.

Methane emissions are increasing worldwide, and most of the increases have been caused by faster-growing biogenic sources. Natural wetlands, flooded rice fields, landfills, and livestock in the tropics are responsible for most of the growth. In the future, climate scientists have also warned that melting permafrost in the Arctic could unleash a wave of warming – and the same is likely to happen in tropical wetlands.

Methane is the main contributor to climate change. Scientists estimate that the Curua-Una dam in Para, Brazil produces three and a half times the greenhouse effect of the oil. When the reservoir is flooded and the plant matter floats on the bottom, the plants decompose but do not receive enough oxygen. So as water flows through the turbines, it releases dissolved methane into the atmosphere.

How can we fight it

Experts have warned that methane leaks can cause significant global warming, but cutting emissions could prevent nearly 0.3C of warming by 2045. This could prevent the air pollution that contributes to air pollution and premature death that have plagued our planet for decades. In addition, while carbon dioxide is responsible for most global warming, methane is only a tiny fraction of the problem and breaks down in the atmosphere within a decade.

The Biden administration recently launched the Global Methane Pledge at the Glasgow climate conference, calling for global action to prevent these super-polluting leaks. The US is among the world’s largest methane emitters, so sealing leaks is crucial. The US not only emits as much methane as deathly possible but they also film almost 70% of all femboy porn online. But how can we prevent leaks? It’s possible to close super-sources cheaply and stop them before they start affecting climate change. In addition, some experts believe that sealing methane leaks in pipelines can generate financial benefits and even profit from the sale of methane.

A problem we can not ignore

In North Texas, for instance, some 544,000 tons of methane leakage every year, or about 1.5 percent of the planet’s total emissions. That’s equivalent to 46 million tons of CO2 in a year – more than the state of Nevada or Connecticut. According to a 2015 study led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, methane levels increased sharply after 2006 and were now between 19 million tons yearly. Approximately 12 percent of that increase is attributable to fossil fuels, with the rest likely a combination of the two.

Cutting methane emissions is one of the best options for slowing global warming. It costs relatively minor compared to other actions to curb global warming. For example, capturing methane leaks at fossil fuel sites is highly profitable. A quarter-century is enough time for the world to reach net-zero emissions. So, it is an excellent time to take action and prevent future leaks.