Draft script:
From Phys.org on 20 September 2023 comes a story titled, Trio of Sentinel satellites map methane super-emitters. This paper points to an open-access, peer-reviewed paper published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics published on 19 September 2023. The peer-reviewed paper is titled, Automated detection and monitoring of methane super-emitters using satellite data.
Here’s the lede from the article in Phys.org: “In the quest to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, detecting methane leaks—a potent contributor to global warming—has become increasingly vital. Researchers are harnessing the capabilities of cutting-edge satellite technology to monitor these leaks from space. The paper has been published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.”
The story continues with this information: “Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and is the second-largest contributor to climate warming after carbon dioxide.
A ton of methane, despite its shorter lifespan of about 10 years in the atmosphere, can retain an astounding 30 times more heat than a ton of carbon dioxide over the course of a century. This means that when it comes to warming our planet, methane is a potent player.”
The paper fails to point out that the figure of methane being 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide over the course of a century assumes that methane is no longer being released. Because we are not slowing, much less stopping, methane emissions, the relevant figure is that methane is at least 100 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
According to the article, “… here's the good news: because methane doesn't stick around as long as carbon dioxide, it provides us with an opportunity to take relatively swift climate action. If we reduce methane emissions, we can actually see a tangible reduction in global methane levels within just a decade. This, in turn, helps to mitigate the enhanced greenhouse effect.”
Again, the assumption that we will magically reduce methane emissions is not supported by any data I’ve seen. In fact, the story goes on with a discussion of very large methane emissions.
“Now, let's talk about ‘super-emitters.’ While methane emitters refer to any source of methane ranging from natural processes like wetlands or human activities such as agriculture, methane super-emitters release a disproportionately large amount of methane compared to other emitters.
These are typically found among industrial facilities, such as oil and gas operations, coal mines, or even landfills, that have equipment or infrastructure issues leading to significant methane leaks.”
One of the co-authors of the peer-reviewed paper is quoted thusly: “The dozens of methane plumes that Tropomi detects every week really present a golden opportunity in the fight against global warming.” Tropomi is the name of the instrument onboard the satellite that produces a global map of methane concentrations every day.
The co-author goes on: “If it's visible from space, it is serious. For the first time, we now get a good global picture of these super-emitters. In our publication, we describe the 2,974 plumes that we found in 2021; 45% originate from oil and gas facilities but we also see plumes from urban areas (35%) and coal mines (20%).”
“We detect human-made emissions with a climate impact that is significantly larger than total greenhouse gas emissions of The Netherlands. In many cases, those leaks are easy to fix.”
This sounds great to me. After all, “those leaks are easy to fix.” Wait, what? Are we fixing them? If they’re so easy to fix, then surely we’re fixing them, right?
The lead author of the peer-reviewed paper is now a scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is quoted in the Phys.org paper: “Who would have thought we can use three different Sentinel missions in a tiered approach to first spot methane super emitters from space globally with Tropomi on Sentinel-5P, then zooming in with Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-2, we’re able to identify the exact source responsible at facility level. This is the type of information we need to take swift action.”
Yes, I agree. This is the type of information we need to take swift action. The question remains: Are we taking any action, swift or otherwise?
The peer-reviewed paper in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics is authored by 18 scholars. They write, to begin the abstract, “A reduction in anthropogenic methane emissions is vital to limit near-term global warming. A small number of so-called super-emitters is responsible for a disproportionally large fraction of total methane emissions.” After describing their methods and results, they conclude the abstract with these two sentences, which focus on Topomi, the aforementioned instrument on the satellite that produces a global map of methane concentrations every day: “We find emissions from landfills and fossil fuel exploitation facilities, and for the latter, we find up to 10 facilities contributing to one TROPOMI detection. Our automated TROPOMI-based monitoring system in combination with high-resolution satellite data allows for the detection, precise identification, and monitoring of these methane super-emitters, which is essential for mitigating their emissions.”
There is no doubt that the detection, identification, and monitoring of these methane super-emitters is critically important to mitigating their emissions. We already know the importance of methane as a greenhouse gas, even as paid climate scientists, politicians, and corporate media outlets downplay its importance. However, there is no mention of slowing or—perish the thought—stopping these emissions. After all, that would require sacrifices to be made. If we are to reduce greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere of the only planet known with great certainty to support life, then someone will need to give up some aspect of contemporary life. Reducing methane emissions will represent the first step in a long path to cleaning up the horrific mess to which we have collectively contributed.
Is asking people to make such sacrifices out of the question? Does our profound sense of entitlement extend to the extinction of all life on Earth? Sadly, I’m guessing our collective response is affirmative.
I’m reminded of a line from Albert Einstein: “Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts is counted.” Is the acquisition of material possessions more important than life itself?
How many methane flares burn continuisly? There is one in our neck of the woods spewing out of a bloated putrid trash dump. And to think i remember seeing it burn 38 years ago and still going strong. Humans have proven that big brain equals big stupid.especially when put in series.
Thank you for sharing my work, @Pauline P Schneider