Methane Clips: December 12, 2023

 

Pledges To Slash Methane Pollution At COP28 Are Leaving Out One Big Thing. “Negotiators from around the world meeting at the COP28 climate conference in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last week agreed to put more money behind pledges to cut methane pollution. If met, these commitments would avert a significant amount of warming before the end of the decade. But that’s a big ”if,” especially since countries remain reluctant to tackle the biggest source of methane emissions. Methane is a mighty greenhouse gas, roughly 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide when it comes to trapping heat in the atmosphere. About 60 percent of global methane emissions come from human activity, accounting for a quarter of all warming. But unlike carbon dioxide, it doesn’t linger that long in the sky, so cutting humanity’s methane output is one of the fastest ways to reduce the planet’s rate of warming.” [VOX, 12/11/23 (=)]

 

North Dakota Regulators Worry New Federal Methane Rule Could Cost Jobs, Thousands Of Barrels Of Oil. “A new federal methane standard aimed at reducing up to 80% of emissions of the potent greenhouse gas from covered sources could have significant impacts in North Dakota, officials and environmentalists said. The new rule, announced Saturday, Dec. 2, by the Biden administration at the COP28 climate talks, will sharply reduce methane and other pollutants emitted by the petroleum industry, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Capturing natural gas is a significant challenge in North Dakota, where most natural gas is a byproduct of oil wells. Producers in the state flare about 5% of natural gas.” [Inforum, 12/12/23 (-)]