The methane bomb – a climate emergency

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David Shearman explains the dangers of methane for our environment and ways to prevent further damage.

MANPOWER SUPPORT for natural gas pipelines in Queensland and New Brunswick will significantly undermine attempts to control greenhouse gas emissions domestically and internationally by facilitating the production and distribution of natural gas. gas export.

"Climate Emergency" is used by many community and professional organizations to describe their need for action caused by anxiety. But the most urgent threat at the moment is the expansion of the gas industry, which releases methane into the atmosphere.

Why is methane so dangerous?

Methane as a greenhouse gas is measured in carbon dioxide equivalents. Carbon dioxide has warmed the Earth over the centuries, but methane will bring its full potential for warming over the next two decades.

It is about 85 times more powerful than carbon dioxide to raise the temperature of the Earth and is a potential candidate for causing the rapid rise of extreme weather events that increase faster than expected by the slow increase in carbon dioxide .

In the technical terms of the recent IPCC report:

"Limiting warming to 1.5 ° C means reaching a net zero in CO2 global emissions around 2050 and deep reductions in CO 2 emissions2 force, especially methane (high degree of confidence). "

The main "force" is methane and, to a lesser extent, black carbon (soot). Ozone and manufactured fluorinated gases are also powerful agents of force.

Methane is released from wetlands and cows that roast due to fermentation in their intestines and forest fires when methane is released from trees and soil. Human flatulence produces only a little methane.

But we know that most of the existing atmospheric methane and its steady increase since 2006 is due to fossil fuels. By using carbon isotopes of carbon molecules, NASA investigators have shown differences in methane from the fossil fuel, fire and wetland industry. Methane from the oil and gas industry is increasing year after year and comes from leaks during the process of extracting and transporting methane.

What is the solution to this nascent catastrophe?

We must replace the gas with clean hydrogen.

A green hydrogen society is now in place in the isolated, resource – rich and stormy community of the Orkney Islands, north of Scotland. Tidal and wave energy provide the electricity needed to electrolyze water to produce green hydrogen to power their transportation systems and energy needs. Soon, there will be a green hydrogen ferry for the continent.

In Australia, a solar roof and a micro-grid will provide electricity to produce the hydrogen proposed by Daintree Renewable Energy Inc. for the remote Daintree region. He is supported by the federal government.

This development could apply to much of sunny regional Australia to bring self-sufficiency, local employment, cheap energy and fuel for transportation. Its enactment would allow the Queensland LNP to enter this century and stop attacking gas and coal. In the face of the imminent ravages of climate change, Australia must become sustainable and resource-rich agricultural and regional communities must be able to lead the way as they manage land, food and water without the threat of wells for health.

Electricity produced by the combustion of gas can be used to produce hydrogen ("blue hydrogen"), but the combustion of gas produces CO2 which makes it a useless and harmful exercise.

Methane leaks occur throughout the production process

Doctors for the Environment Australia has reviewed all the evidence relating to the misdeeds of the gas industry and felt that methane leakage from existing mines should be controlled by strict regulation and supervision at the expense of the company. industry. Currently, the inspection of methane leakage at thousands of wellheads is often superficial. Leaks at all points of the transport and use of the gas must be identified and controlled. At the present time, there are so many leaks that their control would significantly increase the cost of the gas, so that they would be neglected.

In the United States, several studies have found that equipment and pneumatic equipment leakage at the wellhead, collection and treatment facilities, transportation and storage were much larger than expected.

Studies have also revealed significant leaks on methane-fueled vehicles and studies in the city have revealed significant emissions from gas meters, furnaces, boilers and water heaters. Leaks from gasoline power plants are up to 120 times the official estimates

At COP24 in December 2018, Environment Minister Melissa Price said:

"Australia is using our natural resources to supply the low-emission fuels of tomorrow. Our exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) could save importing countries about 130 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. "

A very clever statement, because methane from leaks was already in the atmosphere at the time of export and was essentially not recorded in Australia's emissions.

Qatar, the United States and Australia, among the richest countries in the world and with the largest per inhabitant greenhouse gas emissions are at the forefront of global gas production and export for a source of cash fueled by the avoidance of full cost accounting. It's a big hit of methane in the face of humanity trying to control climate change. To act in the United States, we must wait for the end of trumpism. In Australia, the two main parties and three states fully support the development of gas. The workforce, at least, recognizes the need for stricter regulation.

The policy and position of Physicians for the Environment in Australia does not indicate new gas mines, not only because of the threat posed by gas as a factor of climate change, but also because health problems more and more documented and because climate change is the biggest threat to century health.

Dr. David Shearman AM FRACP is Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of Adelaide and co-author of the book "The challenge of climate change and the failure of democracy".

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