Washington is cracking down on gassy garbage with new rules set to cut landfill methane pollution by 38%, the Washington State Standard reported.
Methane is an especially powerful planet-heating gas — it's 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over the first two decades after its release. And about 16% of the country's methane emissions come from landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Washington's new methane measures will prevent the equivalent of about 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year, according to the Standard — that's like taking about 308,000 gas-powered cars off the road. The move also makes Washington one of a handful of states with methane pollution rules more stringent than federal standards.
The new policy will help safeguard Washingtonians from a number of harmful health effects. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, methane is almost always emitted along with health-damaging air pollutants, and exposure to even small amounts of these contaminants can lead to premature births, asthma, cancer, and other dangerous consequences.
Plus, reducing methane pollution will also help us in the fight against an overheating planet, as it is the second-largest contributor to climate warming after carbon dioxide.
This is one of several state-level moves across the United States to help in the fight for cleaner air. For instance, California recently banned new registrations of carbon-fuel trucks at ports. Plus, some countries, including Canada, are implementing regulations to mandate that by 2035 light-duty vehicles cannot be sold if they produce tailpipe pollution.
You can crack down on your planet-heating pollution by reducing your dependence on dirty fuel sources such as gas, oil, and coal. One way to do this is by signing up for community solar, which can save around $150 a year while helping to protect the planet.
Meanwhile, reducing food waste is the most effective way to curb methane pollution at landfills, according to Heather Trim, executive director of Zero Waste Washington. The state already passed laws requiring curbside food and yard waste pickups for businesses and single-family households, and Trim told the Standard that she's working with lawmakers on similar legislation for apartment buildings.
As for Washington's new methane regulations, Katherine Blauvelt, circular economy director at Industrious Labs, an environmental advocacy group focused on industry pollution, told the Standard that she hopes the federal government will tighten its methane standards with an upcoming rules update.
"Washington took the ball down the field, but the EPA needs to get it to the touchdown zone," she said.
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