Existing law, The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board (ARB) as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. Existing law requires the ARB to approve and begin implementing a comprehensive short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) strategy to achieve a reduction in the … Read more
by Bob Berwyn, Inside Climate News Highlights A new study in Science Advances says that only a few degrees of warming is needed for large scale permafrost thawing, which would release methane and carbon dioxide that has been trapped in the frost The permafrost regions of the arctic hold more carbon dioxide than the Earth’s … Read more
by Karen L. Jones, California Health Report Highlights According to the California Department of Public Health, the death rate due to chronic lower respiratory disease is 12 times higher in the San Joaquin Valley compared to the rest of the state and 14 times higher than the national rate The intense pollution in the region … Read more
by Emily Holden, The Guardian Highlights The gas industry has been orchestrating efforts to push against any climate policy that threatens their business models through coalition building, hiring lobbying firms, social media strategy, and op-eds Though natural gas is touted as a safe resource, the extraction and transportation of the gas leaks methane, which is … Read more
by Emily Pontecorvo, Grist Highlights Abandoned oil wells across the country are leaking methane, a greenhouse gas that has 86 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide The impending collapse of the oil industry around the world will only make matters worse, as more oil wells will be abandoned and the gas leaks will continue … Read more
by Sammy Roth, The Los Angeles Times Highlights One of Governor Gavin Newsom’s campaign promises was to wind down the usage of the Aliso Canyon gas storage field, located just outside Los Angeles. New reports show that the facility usage has increased during his governorship Publicly available information analyzed by Food and Water Watch shows … Read more
By Jeremy Deaton, Nexus Media Highlights The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that the greenhouse gas methane has reached all-time high levels in the atmosphere, threatening Paris Agreement climate goals. Methane is about 80 times more potent than CO2 and has been increasing its presence in the atmosphere for the last 20 years … Read more
from Climate Nexus Highlights There is a noticeable global surge in methane emissions with the U.S. accounting for the largest source of growth. If this trend continues, all progress made towards reaching Paris Agreement climate goals will be lost. Though tropical wetlands may play a role, scientists agree that large methane emissions are from the … Read more
By Hiroko Tabuchi, The New York Times Highlights: Oil and gas production sites emitting more methane than previously accounted for: Fossil-fuel emissions from human activity — namely the production and burning of fossil fuels — were underestimated by 25 to 40 percent, per new study. Methane emissions are particularly harmful in the short term, warming … Read more
by Andy Ferguson A scientific mystery has been solved, giving direction and hope on the climate front. Methane is 102 times more powerful than CO2 as a cause of climate change, but because it remains in the atmosphere an average of only nine years, reducing methane emissions offers quick and tangible results for fighting climate … Read more
