… Scientist Studies Methane Levels in Cross-Continent Drive (finds levels are higher than known)

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/display.aspx?pkey=3009

[font face=Serif][font size=5]UC Santa Barbara Scientist Studies Methane Levels in Cross-Continent Drive[/font]

May 15, 2013

[font size=3](Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– After taking a rented camper outfitted with special equipment to measure methane on a cross-continent drive, a UC Santa Barbara scientist has found that methane emissions across large parts of the U.S. are higher than currently known, confirming what other more local studies have found. Their research is published in the journal Atmospheric Environment.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, stronger than carbon dioxide on a 20-year timescale, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, though on a century timescale, carbon dioxide is far stronger. "This research suggests significant benefits to slowing climate change could result from reducing industrial methane emissions in parallel with efforts on carbon dioxide," said Ira Leifer, a researcher with UCSB's Marine Science Institute.

Leifer was joined by two UCSB undergraduate students on the road trip from Los Angeles to Florida, taking a primarily southern route through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and along the Gulf of Mexico. They used specialized instrumentation, a gas chromatograph, to measure methane. The device was mounted in the RV, with an air ram on the roof that collected air samples from in front of the vehicle.

"We tried to pass through urban areas during nighttime hours, to avoid being stuck in traffic and sampling mostly exhaust fumes," Leifer said. "Someone was always monitoring the chromatograph, and when we would see a strong signal, we would look to see what potential sources were in the area, and modify the survey to investigate and, if possible, circumnavigate potential sources."

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[limpyhobbler]

1. on a related note...

Solving the Case of California's Extra Methane

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=solving-the-case-of-californias-extra-machine

[caraher]

12. Here's what struck me

In his analysis, Peischl found that the methane leak rate from Los Angeles-area oil and gas operations was 17 percent. This is high; leakage rates of "fugitive emissions" from oil and gas drilling operations are currently estimated at 4 percent by U.S. EPA (ClimateWire, April 4).

The California Air Resources Board has been working toward pinning down this leakage percentage in its own way, too. Peischl's paper cites a survey it did of oil and gas producers in which it queried them about the equipment they use. Based on those results, CARB's revised estimate for fugitive emissions from the Los Angeles basin is 12 percent."

I wonder what we'd find in a more systematic study... it seems like we really do not have a good handle at all on the extent of this problem. All the more reason to just get off fossil fuels rather than move to natural gas because it's (possibly) "not as bad as coal."

[kristopher]

2. Very good read that raises important questions.

"The researchers found the highest methane concentrations in areas with significant refinery activity, and in California in a Central Valley region of oil and gas production. Methane levels near refineries were not uniform, varying greatly from spot to spot and at different times. Nighttime concentrations were dramatically enhanced when the winds died down, forming a calm, shallow atmospheric layer near the surface, according to Leifer.

Perhaps the most surprising discovery was made in the Los Angeles area, where the study highlighted the importance of geologic methane emissions in the North Los Angeles Basin, centered on the La Brea Tar Pits. Rough estimation of emissions from the data suggests 10-20 percent of the methane emissions from Los Angeles could be natural geologic, influenced by the vast number of abandoned wells throughout the area."

What should be the response to this data by our government?

[FBaggins]

3. The response should be an immediate review...

... of grant programs.

A college professor gets an all-expense-paid road trip in a camper with a pair of undergrad students?

A pretty good gig if you can get it.

[GliderGuider]

5. Immediately shut down all gas and coal power plants until CCS can be installed...

Or start a crash program to contract the economy so there is less need for fossil fuels...

[kristopher]

6. How, exactly, could that be done?

What legal framework do you think exists to effect that recommendation?

[GliderGuider]

7. Jeeze, I don't know. You're the policy wonk, you figure it out...

Need a new law? Get them (whoever "they" are) to pass one. It ain't rocket science, it's just politics...

[kristopher]

8. So you prescribe unicorns and fairy dust?

That's what it amounts to in the real world.

[NickB79]

9. Oh god, the irony of you of all people posting that

[oldhippie]

11. ^^ this ^^

Lordy, the irony!

[GliderGuider]

10. Well, seeing as how our use of fossil fuels has triggered a global extinction event

You'd think the least we could do is pass a couple of laws to slow it down a bit.

[kristopher]

4. Kick.