According to the World Health Organization, by 2030 climate change is estimated to cost health care industries $2 billion to $4 billion per year, not including water, sanitation or agriculture expenses. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause an additional 250,000 deaths per year.
“In 2017, methane (CH4) accounted for about 10.2% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency. “Pound for pound, the comparative impact of CH4 is more than 25 times greater than CO2 [carbon dioxide] over a 100-year period.”
Per the U.S. Census, Pennsylvania had a population of 12,807,060 in 2018, while the world’s population for that year is estimated to be 7.6 billion. The total population of Pennsylvania accounts for 0.001% of the world’s population yet contributes 1% of the world’s methane emissions.
Methane emissions contribute to a quarter of the factors driving climate change. So, a 1% contribution from Pennsylvania and a 10% stake in emissions from the U.S. may not seem like much, but the little things add up.
That’s why according to a recent survey by State Impact Pennsylvania: “More than two-thirds of respondents said Pennsylvania should pursue policies that support renewable energy over fossil fuels.” Most readers likely agree with this. It is lawmakers and corporations that are failing to contain the threat.
Industry representatives like the Marcellus Shale Coalition oppose further regulations that would see methane emissions cut down. On its website, it states, “Natural gas producers are laser-focused on capturing and marketing methane, and are investing in new technology to identify and repair leaks.” This means the accountability for their own violations would be private, not public. Yet global and national players like British Petroleum are saying the opposite, advocating for direct regulation of methane from new and existing sources.
Gov. Tom Wolf responded by updating controls to mitigate methane emissions from new shale infrastructure. The question is, will restricting only future oil and gas operations be enough?
SEAN ARMSTRONG
Mt. Lebanon
First Published: September 19, 2019, 4:00 a.m.