APRIL REPORT TO CARBON COUNTY STAKEHOLDERS
By SAVE CARBON COUNTY
PennEast/UGI Pipeline Project- Prepared 4/30
A landmark United Nations report is expected to declare that
reducing emissions of methane, the main component of natural
gas, will be a critical step in achieving a near immediate
slowdown in the rate of global warming. The reason methane
reductions would be particularly effective in the short-term fight
against climate change is that while methane is an extremely potent
greenhouse gas, it is also relatively short-lived, lasting just a decade
or so in the atmosphere. That means cutting new methane emissions
today could more quickly help the world meet its midcentury targets
for fighting global warming. By contrast, carbon dioxide, the main
greenhouse gas, lasts for hundreds of years in the atmosphere. So,
while it remains critical to keep reducing carbon dioxide emissions
because they make up the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions,
it would take until the end of the century to see any climate effects
from these changes.
Furthermore, while reductions to carbon dioxide emissions would
require sweeping changes to the economy, methane reductions can be
achieved at little cost to the economy. A large part of the methane in
the atmosphere comes from leaks from oil and gas infrastructure. In
fact, recent studies have shown that the oil and gas industry play a
much larger part in putting methane into our atmosphere than was
previously thought. Fixing those leaks should pay for itself by
capturing gas that can then be sold. That potential means that
plugging leaks from wells, pipelines and compressors can be the
cheapest and fastest way to slow the impact of climate changing
emissions on our environment. The U.N. report also underscores how
reducing methane emissions may bring significant health benefits as
well. Pennsylvania is the second largest source of methane emissions
in the United States. A concerted effort at reduction here would make
a huge difference but the industry has opposed even moderate
proposals from the Wolf administration.
Save Carbon County is a member of a regional and two-state effort to stop the PennEast/UGI pipeline.
Local information can be found on FaceBook at “Stop the Fracking Pipeline.” Regional Information can be found on FaceBook at “Stop PennEast Pipeline.
HALT PennEast 