Spying from space: How satellites can help identify and rein in a potent climate pollutant – “On a blustery day in early March, the who’s who of methane research gathered at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara, California. Dozens of people crammed into a NASA mission control center. Others watched from cars pulled alongside roads just outside the sprawling facility. Many more followed a livestream. They came from across the country to witness the launch of an oven-sized satellite capable of detecting the potent planet-warming gas from space.” [Grist, 8/7/24 (=)]
New grants will help Washington landfills reduce methane emissions – “Using $15 million in grants from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, the Department of Ecology is working to help cut the amount of climate-warming methane escaping from municipal solid waste landfills. The grants will help landfills implement new regulations finalized earlier this year and intended to improve methane monitoring, and capture and control systems. The new measures will prevent about 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from escaping into the atmosphere every year. That’s like taking nearly 350,000 cars off the road.” [Washington Department of Ecology, 8/6/24 (=)]
New Study Provides Comprehensive Estimates of Methane Emissions from Canada’s Oil and Gas Industry Based on Direct Measurements – “New peer-reviewed research published this week provides new and much-needed clarity about the methane footprint created by Canada’s oil and gas industry and the country’s progress toward addressing it. According to this latest research, Canada’s oil and gas industry emitted 2.6 million tonnes of methane gas into the atmosphere in 2021. That’s over 2% of the total gas produced nationwide. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that’s fueling the climate change crisis. Canada has made a commitment to reduce 75% of oil and gas methane emissions by 2030, but gaps in methane data have made it difficult to assess whether Canada can meet that target.” [EDF, 8/6/24 (=)]