Written by Sarah McBride

Read the latest news from Moms Clean Air Force staff and members in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and West Virginia.

Part 2 of a 2-part series: Unrestricted approvals of new chemicals, with low fees  Maria Doa, Ph.D., Senior Director, Chemicals Policy In its recently issued ‘State of TSCA’ report, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) tries to turn back the clock on how EPA assesses and mitigates the risks of toxic chemicals under the Toxic Substances […]

The post The many ways the American Chemistry Council wants to turn back time on TSCA implementation – Part 2 first appeared on EDF Health.

Part 2 of a 2-part series: Unrestricted approvals of new chemicals, with low fees  Maria Doa, Ph.D., Senior Director, Chemicals Policy In its recently issued ‘State of TSCA’ report, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) tries to turn back the clock on how EPA assesses and mitigates the risks of toxic chemicals under the Toxic Substances […]

Part 1 of a 2-part series: Minimizing or ignoring chemical risks Maria Doa, Ph.D., Senior Director, Chemicals Policy  In its recently issued ‘State of TSCA’ report, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) tries to turn back the clock on how EPA assesses and mitigates the risks of toxic chemicals. The chemical industry group looks to return […]

The post The many ways the American Chemistry Council wants to turn back time on TSCA implementation – Part 1 first appeared on EDF Health.

Part 1 of a 2-part series: Minimizing or ignoring chemical risks Maria Doa, Ph.D., Senior Director, Chemicals Policy  In its recently issued ‘State of TSCA’ report, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) tries to turn back the clock on how EPA assesses and mitigates the risks of toxic chemicals. The chemical industry group looks to return […]

This is the second blog in a series focused on coastal restoration projects advancing across Louisiana’s coast. You can read the Southeast blog here, and the Southwest Coast blog here. As communities across Louisiana continue to recover from the devastation of the last two hurricane seasons, it’s difficult to think that another hurricane season is about to begin. In 2020, five storms made landfall in Louisiana – the most ever – with Hurricanes Laura and Delta devastating the southwest portion ...

Read The Full Story

The post Coastal Restoration is More Important Than Ever for Communities Across Louisiana’s Central Coast appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

This is the second blog in a series focused on coastal restoration projects advancing across Louisiana’s coast. You can read the Southeast blog here, and the Southwest Coast blog here. As communities across Louisiana continue to recover from the devastation of the last two hurricane seasons, it’s difficult to think that another hurricane season is about to begin. In 2020, five storms made landfall in Louisiana – the most ever – with Hurricanes Laura and Delta devastating the southwest portion ...

Read The Full Story

The post Coastal Restoration is More Important Than Ever for Communities Across Louisiana’s Central Coast appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

Maritime shipping is a cornerstone of global supply chains and a major source of GHG emissions. The industry can move faster toward zero-carbon fuels.

Maria Doa, Ph.D., Senior Director, Chemicals Policy; Lauren Ellis, MPH, Research Analyst; and Lariah Edwards, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Fellow  The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) recently filed comments on EPA’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Collaborative Research Program to Support New Chemical Reviews (Collaborative Research Program). The Collaborative Research Program is a multi-year scientific partnership between the […]

Maria Doa, Ph.D., Senior Director, Chemicals Policy; Lauren Ellis, MPH, Research Analyst; and Lariah Edwards, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Fellow  The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) recently filed comments on EPA’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Collaborative Research Program to Support New Chemical Reviews (Collaborative Research Program). The Collaborative Research Program is a multi-year scientific partnership between the […]

The post EPA’s new Collaborative Research Program – A step toward improving new chemical reviews under TSCA first appeared on EDF Health.

Reducing methane will help hit the brakes on runaway global warming

At the Aspen Ideas Festival in Miami Beach, I spoke about the urgent need for swift, effective action to drive down climate pollution. On the same day, the World Meteorological Organization warned that the Earth now has a 50/50 chance of surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius warming within five years.

It was a stark reminder that as governments wrestle with the necessary task of cutting the biggest contributor to climate change, carbon dioxide, many are overlooking a low-cost, high-reward action that could serve as an emergency brake on runaway warming: clamping down on methane pollution.

Act now: Tell the U.S. EPA to cut methane The need for fast methane reductions

Methane is the main component of natural gas and its emissions are increasing rapidly. That’s particularly dangerous because methane is more than 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide in its heat-trapping potential over 20 years.

The methane pollution released worldwide this year is expected to warm the planet more over the next 10 years than all the carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels this year.

But this very potency also means that cutting methane emissions offers the fastest way to slow global warming. EDF has found that a rapid, full-scale effort to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations, agriculture and other sectors could slow the worldwide rate of warming by as much as 30%.

According to government estimates, U.S. oil and gas operations currently waste enough methane to fuel 17 million homes1.

See how the Inflation Reduction Act will curb methane pollution U.S. support for cutting methane waste

Cleaning up methane pollution makes economic and geopolitical sense, too. With Europe trying to get off Russian gas, President Biden has pledged to export a large amount of U.S.-produced liquified natural gas to the European Union by 2030. Capturing the methane currently being squandered could provide half the amount pledged to Europe just by eliminating waste.

For his part, Biden recognizes the need to reduce methane emissions: He was instrumental in kickstarting the Global Methane Pledge at the climate conference last year in Scotland.

The EPA is also considering new methane regulations on oil and gas companies. But these rules must be tightened to cover smaller wells, which produce just 6% of the nation’s oil and gas but generate fully half of all well site methane emissions.

Act now: Tell the U.S. EPA to cut methane Companies must be held accountable

While regulation can achieve low-cost and rapid emissions reductions, it won’t be a cure-all. One challenge is some major companies selling off oil and gas assets to less scrupulous firms with weaker emissions standards — a practice that has the effect of “reducing” emissions for big corporations, at least on paper.

Many of these wells will end up “orphaned” and unplugged, left to seep more methane into the atmosphere.

Corporations that sell off these polluting assets, and the companies that buy them, must be held accountable. The same goes for the major banks and investors financing these deals (many of whom pride themselves on net zero emissions pledges).

But to solve this problem, the oil and gas industry must be on board. It’s time the operators went beyond mere words to show, not tell, that they are taking action.

Tech will help lead us to methane solutions

Whether these firms sign up to voluntary measures or pledge to follow the letter of the law, we no longer have to take their word for it. Emerging technologies are enabling us to see what is really happening.

From drones and aircraft to a new generation of observational satellites, researchers and regulators alike are equipping themselves with the ability to see, in real time, where emissions are taking place and who is responsible.

In 2023, EDF’s new subsidiary MethaneSAT will launch its own satellite with the help of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Once in orbit, MethaneSAT will provide a steady stream of publicly available emissions data, in higher resolution than ever before. With the capacity to measure even diffuse methane plumes, we’ll be able to watch in real time whether these prime emitters are living up to their promises.

Companies are already letting us at EDF know that they regard this tech as a powerful motivator to tighten up operations. We’re approaching a new era of evidence-based accountability and transparency. And that’s exactly what is needed as, together, we face down the climate challenge.

Act now: Tell the U.S. EPA to cut methane Act when it matters most

Every day more than 60 people sign up for news and alerts, to find out when their support helps most. Will you join them? (Read our privacy statement.)

Donate to support this work $35 $50

1 Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration: "U.S. natural gas residential consumption" and "Number of natural gas customers"; The World Bank, "Global gas flaring data"

mmelendez May 16, 2022 - 12:06

Reducing methane will help hit the brakes on runaway global warming

At the Aspen Ideas Festival in Miami Beach, I spoke about the urgent need for swift, effective action to drive down climate pollution. On the same day, the World Meteorological Organization warned that the Earth now has a 50/50 chance of surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius warming within five years.

It was a stark reminder that as governments wrestle with the necessary task of cutting the biggest contributor to climate change, carbon dioxide, many are overlooking a low-cost, high-reward action that could serve as an emergency brake on runaway warming: clamping down on methane pollution.

Act now: Tell the U.S. EPA to cut methane The need for fast methane reductions

Methane is the main component of natural gas and its emissions are increasing rapidly. That’s particularly dangerous because methane is more than 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide in its heat-trapping potential over 20 years.

The methane pollution released worldwide this year is expected to warm the planet more over the next 10 years than all the carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels this year.

But this very potency also means that cutting methane emissions offers the fastest way to slow global warming. EDF has found that a rapid, full-scale effort to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations, agriculture and other sectors could slow the worldwide rate of warming by as much as 30%.

According to government estimates, U.S. oil and gas operations currently waste enough methane to fuel 17 million homes1.

See how the Inflation Reduction Act will curb methane pollution U.S. support for cutting methane waste

Cleaning up methane pollution makes economic and geopolitical sense, too. With Europe trying to get off Russian gas, President Biden has pledged to export a large amount of U.S.-produced liquified natural gas to the European Union by 2030. Capturing the methane currently being squandered could provide half the amount pledged to Europe just by eliminating waste.

For his part, Biden recognizes the need to reduce methane emissions: He was instrumental in kickstarting the Global Methane Pledge at the climate conference last year in Scotland.

The EPA is also considering new methane regulations on oil and gas companies. But these rules must be tightened to cover smaller wells, which produce just 6% of the nation’s oil and gas but generate fully half of all well site methane emissions.

Act now: Tell the U.S. EPA to cut methane Companies must be held accountable

While regulation can achieve low-cost and rapid emissions reductions, it won’t be a cure-all. One challenge is some major companies selling off oil and gas assets to less scrupulous firms with weaker emissions standards — a practice that has the effect of “reducing” emissions for big corporations, at least on paper.

Many of these wells will end up “orphaned” and unplugged, left to seep more methane into the atmosphere.

Corporations that sell off these polluting assets, and the companies that buy them, must be held accountable. The same goes for the major banks and investors financing these deals (many of whom pride themselves on net zero emissions pledges).

But to solve this problem, the oil and gas industry must be on board. It’s time the operators went beyond mere words to show, not tell, that they are taking action.

Tech will help lead us to methane solutions

Whether these firms sign up to voluntary measures or pledge to follow the letter of the law, we no longer have to take their word for it. Emerging technologies are enabling us to see what is really happening.

From drones and aircraft to a new generation of observational satellites, researchers and regulators alike are equipping themselves with the ability to see, in real time, where emissions are taking place and who is responsible.

In 2023, EDF’s new subsidiary MethaneSAT will launch its own satellite with the help of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Once in orbit, MethaneSAT will provide a steady stream of publicly available emissions data, in higher resolution than ever before. With the capacity to measure even diffuse methane plumes, we’ll be able to watch in real time whether these prime emitters are living up to their promises.

Companies are already letting us at EDF know that they regard this tech as a powerful motivator to tighten up operations. We’re approaching a new era of evidence-based accountability and transparency. And that’s exactly what is needed as, together, we face down the climate challenge.

Act now: Tell the U.S. EPA to cut methane Act when it matters most

Every day more than 60 people sign up for news and alerts, to find out when their support helps most. Will you join them? (Read our privacy statement.)

Donate to support this work $35 $50

1 Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration: "U.S. natural gas residential consumption" and "Number of natural gas customers"; The World Bank, "Global gas flaring data"

mmelendez May 16, 2022 - 12:06

Written by Elizabeth Bechard

A new study from researchers affirm the benefits of collective climate activism for our mental health. So find a climate community!

EDF Statement from Katelyn Roedner Sutter, Senior Manager, U.S. Climate