Tom Toles goes green – The Washington Post
January 27, 2013
The global energy challenge: Awash with carbon
28 November 2012
Methane leaks erode green credentials of natural gas : Nature News & Comment
January 2, 2013
Methane leaks erode green credentials of natural gas : Nature News & Comment.
Methane leaks erode green credentials of natural gas
Losses of up to 9% show need for broader data on US gas industry’s environmental impact.
02 January 2013
Natural-gas wells such as this one in Colorado are increasingly important to the US energy supply.
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP PHOTO
Scientists are once again reporting alarmingly high methane emissions from an oil and gas field, underscoring questions about the environmental benefits of the boom in natural-gas production that is transforming the US energy system.
The researchers, who hold joint appointments with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Colorado in Boulder, first sparked concern in February 2012 with a study1 suggesting that up to 4% of the methane produced at a field near Denver was escaping into the atmosphere. If methane — a potent greenhouse gas — is leaking from fields across the country at similar rates, it could be offsetting much of the climate benefit of the ongoing shift from coal- to gas-fired plants for electricity generation.
Industry officials and some scientists contested the claim, but at an American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in San Francisco, California, last month, the research team reported new Colorado data that support the earlier work, as well as preliminary results from a field study in the Uinta Basin of Utah suggesting even higher rates of methane leakage — an eye-popping 9% of the total production. That figure is nearly double the cumulative loss rates estimated from industry data — which are already higher in Utah than in Colorado.
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“We were expecting to see high methane levels, but I don’t think anybody really comprehended the true magnitude of what we would see,” says Colm Sweeney, who led the aerial component of the study as head of the aircraft programme at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder.
Whether the high leakage rates claimed in Colorado and Utah are typical across the US natural-gas industry remains unclear. The NOAA data represent a “small snapshot” of a much larger picture that the broader scientific community is now assembling, says Steven Hamburg, chief scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in Boston, Massachusetts.
The NOAA researchers collected their data in February as part of a broader analysis of air pollution in the Uinta Basin, using ground-based equipment and an aircraft to make detailed measurements of various pollutants, including methane concentrations. The researchers used atmospheric modelling to calculate the level of methane emissions required to reach those concentrations, and then compared that with industry data on gas production to obtain the percentage escaping into the atmosphere through venting and leaks.
The results build on those of the earlier Colorado study1 in the Denver–Julesburg Basin, led by NOAA scientist Gabrielle Pétron (see Nature 482, 139–140; 2012). That study relied on pollution measurements taken in 2008 on the ground and from a nearby tower, and estimated a leakage rate that was about twice as high as official figures suggested. But the team’s methodology for calculating leakage — based on chemical analysis of the pollutants — remains in dispute. Michael Levi, an energy analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, published a peer-reviewed comment2 questioning the findings and presenting an alternative interpretation of the data that would align overall leakage rates with previous estimates.
Pétron and her colleagues have a defence of the Colorado study in press3, and at the AGU meeting she discussed a new study of the Denver–Julesburg Basin conducted with scientists at Picarro, a gas-analyser manufacturer based in Santa Clara, California. That study relies on carbon isotopes to differentiate between industrial emissions and methane from cows and feedlots, and the preliminary results line up with their earlier findings.
A great deal rides on getting the number right. A study4 published in April by scientists at the EDF and Princeton University in New Jersey suggests that shifting to natural gas from coal-fired generators has immediate climatic benefits as long as the cumulative leakage rate from natural-gas production is below 3.2%; the benefits accumulate over time and are even larger if the gas plants replace older coal plants. By comparison, the authors note that the latest estimates from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggest that 2.4% of total natural-gas production was lost to leakage in 2009.
To see if that number holds up, the NOAA scientists are also taking part in a comprehensive assessment of US natural-gas emissions, conducted by the University of Texas at Austin and the EDF, with various industry partners. The initiative will analyse emissions from the production, gathering, processing, long-distance transmission and local distribution of natural gas, and will gather data on the use of natural gas in the transportation sector. In addition to scouring through industry data, the scientists are collecting field measurements at facilities across the country. The researchers expect to submit the first of these studies for publication by February, and say that the others will be complete within a year.
In April, the EPA issued standards intended to reduce air pollution from hydraulic-fracturing operations — now standard within the oil and gas industry — and advocates say that more can be done, at the state and national levels, to reduce methane emissions. “There are clearly opportunities to reduce leakage,” says Hamburg.
Nature
493,
- 12
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03 January 2013
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doi
- :10.1038/493012a
References
- Pétron, G. et al. J. Geophys. Res. 117, D04304 (2012).
- Levi, M. A. J. Geophys. Res. 117, D21203 (2012).
- Pétron, G. et al. J. Geophys. Res. (in the press).
- Alvarez, R. A., Pacala, S. W. Winebrake, J. J., Chameides, W. L. & Hamburg, S. P. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 109, 6435–6440 (2012).
Physicians Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy
December 14, 2012
Physicians Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy.
MORE THAN 100 LEADING MEDICAL, SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS URGE WHITE HOUSE TO HALT RUSH TO EXPANDED SHALE GAS FRACKING FOR EXPORT PURPOSES
MORE THAN 100 LEADING MEDICAL, SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS URGE WHITE HOUSE TO HALT RUSH TO EXPANDED SHALE GAS FRACKING FOR EXPORT PURPOSES
First, Do No Harm: Get the Health Facts Now Is the Message From Petitioners to Obama
WASHINGTON, D.C.///December 13, 2012///Moving ahead rapidly with plans to approve several new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals would require “a rapid increase in fracking in the United States without credible science” and “could potentially cause undue harm to many Americans,” according to 107 experts who signed on to a petition sent today to the White House.
Facilitated by Physicians, Scientists, & Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE), the petition is a response to the Obama Administration’s consideration of fast tracking of the permitting process for LNG export terminals that would trigger a substantial spike in the fracking of U.S. shale gas in order to meet foreign energy demands.
Signed by top U.S. medical professionals, researchers, and other scientists, the petition reads in part: “There is a growing body of evidence that unconventional natural gas extraction from shale (also known as ‘fracking’) may be associated with adverse health risks through exposure to polluted air, water, and soil. Public health researchers and medical professionals question the continuation of current levels of fracking without a full scientific understanding of the health implications. The opening of LNG export facilities would serve to accelerate fracking in the United States in absence of sound scientific assessment, placing policy before health.”
Seth B. Shonkoff, PhD, MPH, executive director, Physicians, Scientists, & Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE), and environmental researcher, University of California, Berkeley, said: “The question here is very simple: Why would the United States dramatically increase the use of an energy extraction method without first ensuring that the trade-off is not the health of Americans in exchange for the energy demands of foreign nations? Health professionals are coming together today to urge the White House to make sure that we have the facts prior to making this decision. The only prudent thing to do here is to conduct the needed research first.”
Adam Law, MD, physician, Cayuga Medical Center, Ithaca, NY, and Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy, said: “Researchers are finding measurable levels of pollutants from this industry in air and water that are associated with the risk of illness. The first studies to describe this are entering the scientific literature and public health researchers are embarking on multiple approaches to study the associated adverse health effects.”
Madelon L. Finkel, PhD, professor of clinical public health, and director of the Office of Global Health Education, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, said: “Natural gas has been in these shale formations for millions of years; it isn’t going anywhere and will be around for future generations. Society especially owes it to those living in areas with both active and planned drilling to study the potential for harm (to the environment and to human and animal health) and to act to reduce those factors that are shown to increase the risk of disease and even death.”
Louis W. Allstadt, former executive vice president, Mobil Oil Corporation, Cooperstown, NY, said:“The current unconventional oil and gas drilling process using High Volume Horizontal Hydro-Fracturing is a much more intensive industrial activity than conventional drilling, which was the norm until about 10 years ago. It requires far greater volumes of water and chemicals, as well as disposal of much larger volumes of toxic flow-back fluids. We need to fully study and understand the health effects of the significantly greater volumes of toxic materials that must be handled and disposed of with this process.”
The full text of the PSE petition reads as follows:
“We the undersigned medical and scientific professionals urge the Obama Administration to put a hold on moving forward on the construction of new liquefied natural gas terminals for the large-scale exportation of shale gas to foreign nations. Our concern is that the Administration has not fully examined the potential for harm to health and the environment that could result.
There is a growing body of evidence that unconventional natural gas extraction from shale (also known as ‘fracking’) may be associated with adverse health risks through exposure to polluted air, water, and soil.
Public health researchers and medical professionals question the continuation of current levels of fracking without a full scientific understanding of the health implications. The opening of LNG export facilities would serve to accelerate fracking in the United States in absence of sound scientific assessment, placing policy before health.
As the White House and the Department of Energy contemplate exporting LNG to accommodate international demand for energy, the need for a deliberative process based on sound science is all the more important. We assert that a guiding ethical principle for public policy on fracking should parallel that used by physicians: ‘First, do not harm.’
There is a need for much more scientific and epidemiologic information about the potential for harm from fracking. To facilitate a rapid increase in fracking in the United States without credible science is irresponsible and could potentially cause undue harm to many Americans.
Without well-designed scientific studies, we will not know the extent of potential harm from fracking. We strongly urge the Administration to err on the side of caution as it contemplates national policy regarding the exportation of shale gas.
The health professionals below sign as individuals and do not necessarily represent the views of their employer.”
For the full list of signers of the PSE petition, go to http://www.psehealthyenergy.org/.
ABOUT PSE
Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy is dedicated to supplying objective, evidence-based, scientific information and resources on unconventional gas development (high-volume hydrofracking) and other novel energy production methods. PSE’s mission is to bring transparency to the important scientific and public policy issues surrounding energy, helping to level the playing field for citizens, scientists, advocacy groups, media, and policy-makers. For more information, go to http://www.psehealthyenergy.org/.
MEDIA CONTACT: Patrick Mitchell, (703) 276-3266 or pmitchell@hastingsgroup.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at http://www.psehealthyenergy.org/ as of 6 p.m. EST on Dec 13, 2012.
DOWNLOAD Sign On Letter
Listen to the Audio
Letter Signatories:
| Adam Law, MD | Seth Shonkoff, PhD, MPH | |
| Physicians Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy
Cayuga Medical Center Weill Cornell Medical College |
Physicians Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy
University of California, Berkeley |
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Ajay Pillarisetti, MPH, University of California, Berkeley Alastair Iles, PhD, JD, University of California, Berkeley Allison Wilson, PhD, Science Director, The Bioscience Resource Project Amelia Pare, MD, President Elect, Allegheny County Medical Association Ann Marie O’Reilly, MSEd, OTR/L Holy Childhood, Inc. Anne Neirynck, NP, IthacaMed Antoinette Kuzminski, MD Audrie L. Paluselli, RN, UPMC Mercy Hospital Pittsburgh, Pa Barbara White, RNC, MS, FNP, Department of Medicine, Gannett Health Services Byron Demopoulos, MD, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian Hospital Catherine Thomasson, MD, Executive Director, Physician for Social Responsibility, Washington, DC Charles Garbo, MD, Cayuga Medical Center Claire Cifaloglio, MD, Retired Pediatrician Coby Schultz , BSN, RN, Rochester General Hospital Colleen Reid, MPH, University of California, Berkeley Cora Foster, MD, Cayuga Medical Center Cornelia E. Farnum, PhD, DVM, Professor Emerita, Cornell University Daniel Miller, MD, Chief, Clinical Quality and Training Hudson River HealthCare Daria B Crittenden, MD, NYU School of Medicine David Feldshuh, MD, PhD, Cornell University David Gould, MD, MBA David R. Brown, ScD, SWPA Environmental Health Project Deborah Payne, MPH, Kentucky Environmental Foundation Denise DeJohn, MSN, CRNP, SWPA Environmental Health Project Douglas MacQueen, MD, Cayuga Medical Associates Ellen Henry, PhD, Univ of Rochester Medical Center Elmer Ewing, PhD, Prof. Emeritus, Cornell College of Agriculture & Life Sciences Erik D. Hiester, DO, President: Broome County Medical Society, Lourdes Hospital Esther I Herkowitz, MS, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Health Net Geoffrey E Moore, MD, FACSM, Director of Clinical Services, Cayuga Center for Healthy Living Gerri Wiley, RN, Owego RAFT (Residents Against Fracking Tioga) Helen Podgainy, MD, Children’s Community Pediatrics, Moon and Wexford J. B. Heiser, PhD, Cornell University James C. Macmillan, MD, Tompkins County Board of Health James W. Walker, MD, Bassett Healthcare Network Jeffrey Carlberg, MD, FamilyCare Medical Group Jens Wennberg, PA, Ithaca Free Clinic Joan Cain, FNP-C, IthacaMed John Cooke, MD, Cayuga Medical Center, Ithaca, NY Jose Torrado, MD, Cayuga Medical Center Joseph A. Mannino, MD, Cayuga Medical Center Josephine C. McAllister, MD, Dermatology Associates of Ithaca Judy Krisher-Bussone, RN Julie Huntsman, DVM, Councilmember, Town of Otsego, NY Karen LaFace, MD, Ithaca, NY Karen M. Landt, MS, ANP, Clinton Crossings Dermatology Katharine W. Lloyd, MD, MI Bassett Hospital Katherine Schaff, MPH, University of California, Berkeley Kathleen Nolan, MD, MSL, Regional Director for the High Peaks, Catskill Mountainkeeper Kathryn M. Zunich, MD, Iasis Partners, LLC Kathy Dervin, MPH, 350 Bay Area Kelly K. Branigan, RN Ken Spaeth, MD, MPH, Hofstra University School of Health Sciences & Human Services
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Kenneth Hill, MD, Gannett Health Services
Kimberly Carney Young, MD, Cayuga Medical Center Kristin Stevens, NP, ObGyn IthacaMed Kristine Noonan, RN, Nurses for Safe Water Larysa Dyrszka, MD, Pediatrician (retired) Leslie A. Walleigh, MD, MPH, SWPA Environmental Health Project Linda Rudolph, MD, MPH, Linda Rudolph and Associates Lisa Stankus, CRNP, Gannett: Cornell University Health Services Madelon L. Finkel, PhD, Weill Cornell Medical College Marcy Schaeffer, RN, NP, Ithaca City School District Margaret Buckley, RN, MSN, Nurse Rise, Buffalo, New York Margaret Rafferty, DNP, RN, MA, MPH Marguerite Uphoff, MD, MPH, FAAP, Northeast Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Marianne Herr-Paul, DO, Wellspring Cottage, LLC Marie Harkins, MS, FNP, CNM, Cayuga Medical Center Mary McCutcheon, RN MS, San Francisco Department of Public Health (Retired) Mary Menapace, RN, Concerned Health Professionals of NY Marybeth Carlberg, MD, FamilyCare Medical Group, SUNY Upstate Medical Associate Faculty Mel Packer, PA-C, Pittsburgh, PA Melissa Poulsen, MPH, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University Meriamne Singer, MD Michael O’Brien, MD, University at Buffalo Michael P. Branigan, CRNA, MS Michelle Bamberger, MS, DVM, Vet Behavior Consults Monica Daniel, RN, CNM, LAc Nancy B. Stewart, MD, Cayuga Medical Center Nanette M. Dowling, DO, Cayuga Medical Center Nina Pesante, MD Peter Clark, MD, Cayuga Medical Center Peter J. Davies, PhD, Cornell University Peter Schwartz, MD, Cayuga Medical Center Philip Goodman, MD, Self-Employed/Private Practice, Binghamton, NY Pouné Saberi, MD, MPH, Philadelphia Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility Rachel Morello-Frosch, PhD, MPH, University of California, Berkeley Rajaran Rao, MD, Cayuga Medical Center Rebecca Damiani, FNP-C, Gannett Health Services Rebekah Bowser, RN, BSN, Phoenixville Area School District, Healthy Achievers, Maxim Healthcare Richard Weiskopf, MD, SUNY Upstate Medical University Robert Oswald, PhD, Molecular Medicine, Cornell University Ronald E. Bishop, PhD, CHO, State University of New York at Oneonta Samantha K. Davenport, MD, Chief of Pathology, Bassett Healthcare Network Samuel M. Lesko, MD, MPH, Northeast Regional Cancer Institute Sandra Steingraber, PhD, Ithaca College Sarah Buckley, RN, BSN, CCRN, POWR, Protecting Our Water Rights Sheila Bushkin, MD, MPH, Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) Stephanie Westerman , DVM, Medaille College, Buffalo, NY Susan Cowdery, MD, Cayuga Medical Center Susan G. Miller, MD, Gannett Health Services Suzanne Anderson, MD, Trumansburg Family Health Center Tawn Feeney, MA, CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist Teresa R. Miller, MD, private practice physician Tim Cardina, MD, Cayuga Medical Center William Klepack, MD, Dryden Family Medicine William S. Tyler, MD, Cayuga Medical Center (Past President, Retired) Zoë Chafe, MPH, MS, University of California, Berkeley
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Clear earth, air, water ’round here–CD
December 1, 2012
GDACC 
