Energy Exchange

Quickly reducing methane along with CO2 could help save Earth’s sea ice

By EDF Blogs / Published: March 14, 2022

By Kelsey Robinson

New EDF-led research is bringing new hope to the prospect of preserving the Arctic’s summer sea ice, which has been declining rapidly due to rising temperatures.

Sea ice levels today are at their lowest point since record-keeping first began and at this current loss rate, summer sea ice could practically vanish by the time today’s toddlers become adults. This new research suggests that if we take swift action to reduce emissions of CO2 and the potent greenhouse gas methane – we could preserve summer sea ice well into the next century.

Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas after CO2 and is responsible for more than 25% of current global warming. Over the following two decades, the methane we emit today will capture over 80 times more heat than an equal amount of CO2. This is why cutting methane now is so important to slow down warming and lower the risk of losing Arctic summer sea ice.

This study is one of the first to look at how practical methane mitigation affects critical parts of the climate system beyond temperature rise. According to the study, if we reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 (as motivated by the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement) and quickly enact methane reductions using all currently available solutions, the chances of saving our summer sea ice this century could increase from nearly zero without action to more than 80%.

Why preserving summer sea ice is so important.

A seasonally ice-free Arctic has significant implications for the global climate. According to recent research, if the Arctic Ocean is free of sea ice during the sunlit part of the year, it could generate the same heat as 25 years’ worth of human-caused CO2 emissions at today’s level.

Preserving sea ice maintains habitat for walruses, polar bears and other Arctic wildlife and it serves as a vital source for hunting and fishing among Indigenous Arctic communities. It can also help deter geopolitical complications that can arise from open access to Arctic waterways.

This study makes it clear that methane-cutting tools and technologies that are available today can make significant progress toward preserving Arctic summer sea ice and slowing the rate of global warming if we deploy them now.

Posted in Methane / Comments are closed

New Rystad cost analysis makes case for EPA to end routine flaring in final methane rule

By EDF Blogs / Published: February 28, 2022

By Jon Goldstein and Grace Weatherall

Reducing the amount of methane emitted from oil and gas infrastructure is among the cheapest and simplest solutions we have to reduce global warming quickly while protecting public health. The Environmental Protection Agency is in the midst of developing rules to curb these emissions from oil and gas producers across the country.

A new analysis commissioned by EDF and conducted by Rystad Energy makes it clear that eliminating routine flaring — a major source of rogue emissions — should be part of EPA’s methane rulemaking.

Though there are valid safety reasons for some minimal flaring, most of it occurs via routine flaring — when oil producers simply don’t have a place to put the natural gas that emerges from the ground during oil production and simply burn it off. More than $1 billion of natural gas is wasted at flares every year, driving unnecessary and harmful climate and local air pollution — including methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas — when natural gas is not fully burned.

Rystad’s report includes two key findings that should inform EPA’s rulemaking.

Posted in Air Quality, Colorado, Methane, Methane regulatons, Natural Gas, Texas / Tagged New Mexico | Comments are closed

To tackle natural gas waste on federal and tribal lands, the Biden administration must end routine venting and flaring

By EDF Blogs / Published: February 17, 2022

By Jon Goldstein and Ben Tettlebaum

With responsibility over one-eighth of the nation’s landmass, the Bureau of Land Management has a lot of important jobs. Chief among them is ensuring federal and tribal lands — and the minerals beneath them — are wisely and responsibly managed on behalf of the public, including U.S. taxpayers and tribal citizens.

But avoidable venting and flaring of natural gas from these lands emit harmful pollutants that have significant public health impacts, especially on communities living near oil and gas fields. What’s more, this damaging practice severely exacerbates the climate crisis and, estimates show, wastes $400 million worth of gas every year.

That’s why a broad coalition of 65 environmental, conservation, tribal, business, faith and agricultural groups called on BLM in a letter late last month to follow the lead of states like Alaska, Colorado and New Mexico and ban routine venting and flaring of natural gas.

Posted in BLM Methane, Methane, Methane regulatons, Natural Gas, Wyoming / Tagged New Mexico | Comments are closed

Solving the EV charging challenge: A how-to guide for regulators

By EDF Blogs / Published: February 15, 2022

By Larissa Koehler and Pamela MacDougall

We are at a pivotal moment in the electric vehicle revolution. Demand for electric cars outpaced their fossil fuel alternatives in the United States, Europe and China last year. And, demand for electric trucks and buses could jump tenfold over the next decade as interest among business and government surges.

Yet the complexities around charging still remain a major barrier to wide-scale adoption.

While state and federal legislators are setting ambitious goals for the electrification of vehicles, utility regulators across the country are the ones untangling many of the (literal) wires of how to achieve these targets. Via utility commission proceedings to consider aspects of vehicle electrification, utility plans to electrify vehicles, and stakeholder working groups, regulators are increasingly being tasked with figuring out how to integrate the tsunami of EVs plugging into the grid.

A new report from EDF, Accelerating Electric Vehicle Infrastructure: A How-to Guide for Regulators, offers guideposts for policymakers as they navigate this unprecedented transition in a way that’s clean, equitable, reliable and cost-effective.

A few highlights include:

Posted in Air Quality, Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

Chip shortage highlights the need for coordinated federal, state policy on zero-emission vehicles

By EDF Blogs / Published: November 18, 2021

By Casey Horan

Recently, a friend sought my help in finding a zero-emission upgrade for his old gas-guzzler. Incentivized by increased cost-competitiveness and a desire to be more environmentally conscious, he was eager to see the new zero-emission vehicle models. To our dismay, dealer after dealer informed us that, not only was the supply for all new ZEVs backed up for months, but prices had increased significantly. Why? Every dealer cited supply chain issues.

A global shortage of chips — tiny semiconductors that make all our electronics work — has forced automakers to delay or halt production for all new vehicles, including ZEVs. While this specific disruption will not impact the long-term market adoption of ZEVs, it does underscore the need to boost domestic manufacturing. The U.S. must not allow an overreliance on foreign suppliers for ZEV components to impede our ability to meet transportation electrification targets, including for medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs, which are a critical part of plans to reduce emissions and address public health and equity concerns across the nation.

To prevent further market instability and delay, Congress should pass the Build Back Better Act and states must implement coordinated policies to encourage investment in domestic supply of essential ZEV parts.

Posted in Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

After banner EV commitments at COP26, it’s time for U.S. to lead

By EDF Blogs / Published: November 18, 2021

By Jason Mathers and Peter Zalzal

The global convening of international climate leaders at COP 26 delivered transformative commitments from countries and companies around the pace of transition to zero-emission vehicles. Leading automakers such as Ford, GM and Mercedes-Benz, as well as more than two dozen countries agreed that by 2035, all new cars sold should be zero-emission. Fifteen countries also agreed that the same should be achieved for trucks and buses by 2040.

It’s great to see global commitments to these targets (which EDF has previously called for), because transportation is the primary source of climate pollution and a leading cause of premature deaths around the world. However, missing from both of these historic agreements was the United States.

Posted in Air Quality, Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed