Immediate Risks
Global warming can seem like a slow burning problem that
builds over time. Greenhouse effects manifest as turbulent weather patterns
(i.e. storms and floods). However, extraction methods for gathering methane
cause much more immediate hazards to the environment and life, both human and
otherwise. One such instance of methane's effect on the environment happened in
California.
A rupture in the Aliso Canyon Southern California Gas Facility has leaked an estimated 94,000 tons of methane into the area over the course of 3 months. An estimated 1,000,000 barrels per day were released in the atmosphere. The leak is so large it is being compared to the BP spill. One scientist, Jeff Peischl states: "The current methane emission rate estimates released by the California Air Resources Board are approximately equal to the methane emissions from the entire Los Angeles urban area, and one quarter of the methane emissions from the entire state of California."
A rupture in the Aliso Canyon Southern California Gas Facility has leaked an estimated 94,000 tons of methane into the area over the course of 3 months. An estimated 1,000,000 barrels per day were released in the atmosphere. The leak is so large it is being compared to the BP spill. One scientist, Jeff Peischl states: "The current methane emission rate estimates released by the California Air Resources Board are approximately equal to the methane emissions from the entire Los Angeles urban area, and one quarter of the methane emissions from the entire state of California."
Learn more at http://methaneeducation.weebly.com/
Sources:
Carbon Brief Organization
http://www.carbonbrief.org/aliso-canyon-how-bad-is-the-california-gas-leak-disaster
OEHHA
http://oehha.ca.gov/public_info/emergency/alisocanyon.html
LA Daily News
http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20151219/two-months-in-porter-ranch-gas-leak-compared-to-bp-gulf-oil-spill
Comments
Post a Comment
Let your knowledge, ideas, and innovation be heard. Tell us what you think and know about this topic.