COP 27 and Methane Emissions
With climate impacts accelerating and emissions continuing to rise unabated , it is more important than ever to slash methane emissions.
Requirements to advance the technology of tracking methane emissions is thus strengthened along with policy measures to reduce emissions.
As countries release plans under Global Methane Pledge, focus shifts on methane emissions from all sources, including agriculture/food systems and fossil fuels.
Global Methane Pledge largely ignores agricultural methane, despite it being the largest global methane source.
Industrial meat and dairy producers have influences that make it difficult to regulate their emissions. So far agriculture has not received the same kind of attention as is the focus on `oil and gas' industry's methane emissions.
Several countries have released new mitigation plans at COP27, but they will not be enough. A relatively small number of companies and facilities contribute a larger percentage of methane emissions.
Advances in technology and innovations present unique tools for corporate accountability efforts, enabling the world to see specific super-polluting facilities and target them for policy implementation.
Methane emissions from `oil and gas' and coal operations are estimated to reach about three-fourth more than what is being reported. This under-reporting undermines the chance of achieving the global goals.
Fortunately the technology to track methane emissions is getting improved everyday and several new tools to understand methane sources were released during COP27 with more on the way.
MARS ( Methane Alert and Response System) is one of them that help track super-emitters. This new satellite system identifies large methane releases, notify stakeholders and track mitigation efforts.
ClimateTRACE is another improved effort that uses satellite observations and computer systems to pin-point methane sources. more
Requirements to advance the technology of tracking methane emissions is thus strengthened along with policy measures to reduce emissions.
As countries release plans under Global Methane Pledge, focus shifts on methane emissions from all sources, including agriculture/food systems and fossil fuels.
Global Methane Pledge largely ignores agricultural methane, despite it being the largest global methane source.
Industrial meat and dairy producers have influences that make it difficult to regulate their emissions. So far agriculture has not received the same kind of attention as is the focus on `oil and gas' industry's methane emissions.
Several countries have released new mitigation plans at COP27, but they will not be enough. A relatively small number of companies and facilities contribute a larger percentage of methane emissions.
Advances in technology and innovations present unique tools for corporate accountability efforts, enabling the world to see specific super-polluting facilities and target them for policy implementation.
Methane emissions from `oil and gas' and coal operations are estimated to reach about three-fourth more than what is being reported. This under-reporting undermines the chance of achieving the global goals.
Fortunately the technology to track methane emissions is getting improved everyday and several new tools to understand methane sources were released during COP27 with more on the way.
MARS ( Methane Alert and Response System) is one of them that help track super-emitters. This new satellite system identifies large methane releases, notify stakeholders and track mitigation efforts.
ClimateTRACE is another improved effort that uses satellite observations and computer systems to pin-point methane sources. more
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`Damage' - how it is defined so as to release fund is difficult to know. Healthcare reach has not penetrated so much. This might require health care industry to decarbonize and go green - sustainable development goals. Students' awareness on climate change and air pollution need to be raised and the dangers both impose on life and health. Cases are already coming up where students have started writing to authorities that the rising cause of air pollution in their areas (for example Deoghar district, Jharkhand) is due to bikes, heavy vehicles JCBs.....running on diesel/petrol. Country's energy security has to shift from dirtier energy sources to cleaner energy sources. This is transition and based on technological advances can be expedited or slowed down. Natural gas (essentially methane) also burns in ICE(internal combustion engines) to drive the vehicles but is clean burning fuel. But if methane escapes in atmosphere it causes warming effect. So it requires `methane mitigation efforts' to be raised, which may become a function of technological advances. Collaborative efforts often speed up methane mitigation efforts. Nord Stream pipeline leakages (sabotage?) have redefined natural gas transport - instead of pipeline transport, nations are going for LNG cargoes and rapid build up of regasification capacity. Its not so easy to get rid of hydrocarbons as an energy source. Methane release may also occur from garbages (i.e waste generation) - rapid build up of bio-gas plants can contribute in finding the solution of methane release from wastes that are dumped in landfills. more
Nov 22
Damage fund has been set up wherein the common but differentiated responsibilities will be enacted. However, even India's affluent also responsible just like the America's citizens, whom we continuously hold accountable given that nation's earlier development rampantly consuming carbonaceuous pollutants. What about the benefits viz automobiles, and so on, with an internal combustion engine, which our countries have eagerly adopted. $100 billion asked for would need more matching clean technology adoption being demonstrated by India. more
Nov 22
Natural gas is plentiful and is less polluting and emits less carbon dioxide compared to coal and oil when burned. Once liquefied it can be easily transported over oceanways/waterways by use of insulated tankers. Renewables need costly battery/storage items for continuous energy supply. So natural gas appears to be a better transition fuel. Methane mitigation measures can reduce its release in atmosphere and hence heat trapping effects get reduced considerably. more
Nov 21
Developed countries will share the technology with the developing ones helping mitigate climate change by controling pollution. For example give knowhow of wind power generation that produces energy for free and cleanly. Developing nations wanted more latitude in burning fossil fuels to improve living standard but that caused pollution. Energy mix would change favouring the renewable over carbonised traditional means such replacing diesel pumpsets with solar ones for irrigating farmlands. Pollution moves accross man made boundaries, wherein forest fires in the tropical zones trapped heat would cause polar glaciers melt, anvironmental catastrophe. Energy consumption even within India too there remains highly inequitable. Indians living here people point fingers at the developed world who industrialised earlier, when they do the same running cars on diesel, or taking flights abroad. Whither then the minimalism? more
Nov 21
