Texas Sues EPA Over Methane Rule. According to Politico, “Texas filed a lawsuit Friday challenging a major Biden administration climate rule in a federal court. The Texas lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia Circuit, takes aim at EPA’s rule to clamp down on methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. EPA announced its final rule in December at global climate talks in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, but the regulation wasn’t officially published until Friday, a delay that made some climate advocates anxious. The formal publication in the government’s Federal Register opened the window for lawsuits and set a date for the rule to take effect, which is set to happen May 7.” [Politico, 3/11/24]
EPA Rule Tees Up Legal Battle Over Federal Climate Authority. According to Politico, “EPA's rule to limit methane emissions from the oil and gas sector may be the latest battleground over whether the agency is exceeding its authority to regulate planet-warming emissions. The rule is part of a suite of regulatory actions by the Biden administration to address climate change. Methane is a particularly useful target for quickly stemming the rise of global temperatures because the potent greenhouse gas has about 80 times the heat-trapping capability of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. EPA published the rule Friday in the Federal Register. Lawsuits are already rolling in.” [Politico, 3/11/24 (=)]
Both Methane And Carbon Dioxide Are Climate Change Culprits. According to the Michigan Advance, “Methane is frequently portrayed as a clean source of energy. It’s not. Methane (a.k.a. natural gas) is an extremely potent greenhouse gas that’s often used for heating, creating carbon dioxide. While methane is extremely harmful to the environment, a strong case can be made that carbon dioxide is even worse. NASA has stated that ‘in its first 20 years of reaching the atmosphere, methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide (CO2).” But the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium at the University of Illinois states that “carbon dioxide is responsible for about three-quarters of global warming.’” [Michigan Advance, 3/11/24 (=)]