A new Kayrros study shows that the United States continues to emit more planet-warming methane each year, despite international efforts to curb pollution, reports the New York Times.
What's happening?
Kayrros, an environmental data company, released findings from fossil fuel facilities where large quantities of methane are intentionally burned off and released, known as "flaring" and "venting," into the Earth's atmosphere.
The company found that the U.S. is releasing more methane in the atmosphere than before. According to the Times, the concentration of methane in the atmosphere is now over two and a half times as much as preindustrial levels. Over half of methane pollution is human-made.
While many environmental efforts to curb planet-warming pollution have focused on carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas, methane is more potent in the short term. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, methane is over 28 times more powerful in trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
According to a report from Environmental Research Letters, methane heats the air almost 90 times faster than carbon dioxide during the first 20 years after release. This means that methane is a large contributor to air pollution's effects and to higher average temperatures that impact water availability, heat waves, and droughts, according to NASA.
Why is this study important?
In 2021, the United States was one of the first signers of an international pact, the Global Methane Pledge, as the New York Times explained. The pledge has the target of reducing human-made pollution of methane by 30% by 2030. Originally the pledge was signed by about 30 countries — now it has been signed by 158 countries.
"One of the worst performers in our study is the U.S., even though it was an instigator of the Global Methane Pledge," said Antoine Halff, the co-founder of Kayrros, per the Times. "Those are red flags."
Halff added: "2030 is rapidly approaching, though, and emissions are still being released in huge amounts. This seems in large part because oil and gas production is surging both in the U.S. and elsewhere."
Due to increases in oil and gas production, ranching, and decomposing waste, as detailed by the Stanford Report, methane pollution is on the rise, despite global efforts to cut emissions by these countries. According to the International Energy Agency, close to half of all methane pollution globally comes from the five largest emitters: China, India, the United States, Russia, and Brazil.
🗣️ Do you worry about air pollution in your town?
🔘 All the time 💯
🔘 Often 😢
🔘 Only sometimes 😟
🔘 Never 😎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
What's being done about Methane emissions?
The Kayrros report also found that three countries that didn't sign the Global Methane Pledge — Algeria, Iran, and South Africa — saw steep increases in methane pollution, more than the countries that did sign.
"It shows the pledge has influence," said Jutta Paulus, a member of the European Union Parliament. "Many of the fixes are within reach. Leak detection and repair, management of abandoned facilities, they aren't impossible. In fact, many of them can be done at almost no cost."
In the U.S., the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act has put billions of dollars into reducing methane across the country, per the Times. The EPA projects this could reduce "more than the annual emissions from 28 million gasoline cars" and "a nearly 80% reduction below the future methane emissions expected without the rule," according to the Times report.
Across the globe, other efforts are underway to curb pollution, including a European Union regulation to fine imports above a certain emissions threshold. In Turkmenistan, President Berdimuhamedov has made efforts to update facilities and plug methane leaks across the oil and gas industries.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
