6 ms·
Several questions ask to contextualize this measurement. Here's a highly-cited paper in Nature (including some of the researchers quoted in the OP) that descri
by mturmon 4y ago
Several questions ask to contextualize this measurement.
Here's a highly-cited paper in Nature (including some of the researchers quoted in the OP) that describes how an earlier survey of California methane emissions went:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1720-3 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1720-3
If I remember right, the state of CA asked for this survey. It was carried out by an instrument similar to that of the OP, but airborne, not on ISS as in OP.
California has standards for methane emissions (e.g., https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/fact-sheets/oil-and-gas-methane-regulation https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/fact-sheets/oil-and-gas-met...) that are now covering landfills and oil and gas infrastructure, and dairies -- three of the largest categories of large emitters.
(One effect of these regulations, that lay people may have noticed, is trying to get food waste out of the landfill stream, and into composting, so that it doesn't decay anaerobically and produce methane. In LA, for example, the LADWP is test-driving a program where food scraps - vegetables, but also meats and fats - are diverted into green bins.)
Strengthened regulations on methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure are part of this - I'm not saying the studies motivated these regulations, just that they are all part of policies heading in that direction.
It is believed that large oil companies are aggressively selling off oil pumps/fields to get out from under this responsibility. (https://www.propublica.org/article/california-oil-wells-shell-exxonmobil https://www.propublica.org/article/california-oil-wells-shel...)
The ISS measurements in OP have covered (and will continue to cover) a much broader area than the California airborne survey - but with less spatial resolution - so presumably a broad survey of mid-latitude super-emitters will be possible in the coming months.
- ryanhuff 4y agoMy Orange County suburb recently mandated putting food waste into a separate can.
- datavirtue 4y ago
- naikrovek 4y ago> That's adorable. Meanwhile, the entire article circle is melting and fermenting. yeah this guy is right. if we can’t fix it in a single swift stroke, it can’t be fixed. (i just gave myself a headache from rolling my eyes so hard.) think of it differently, at least for a few seconds. what is significant change if not lots of small changes measured cumulatively? lots of individual people wanting gas for their cars contributed to oil companies (and others) polluting for profit; why can’t individual changes also contribute to a solution?
- Invictus0 4y agoIt's part of a narrative to blame consumers for causing climate change, meanwhile industry pollutes far more. The pollution reduction per unit effort is much higher if you focus on heavy industry.
- DFHippie 4y ago> It's part of a narrative to blame consumers for causing climate change, meanwhile industry pollutes far more. True, but "ignore personal action and rail at industry" is part of another narrative that is probably still less effective at changing industry. If you find a polity where consumers are not taking individual action to address climate change, you will find it is not applying more pressure on industry or politicians than a polity where consumers are taking individual action. If you attack the individuals who are taking action, you are attacking the political base that would support addressing climate change. Convincing them that their efforts are pointless, silly, and perhaps just vanity or arrogance, does not empower them. Industry is not quaking in its boots at the prospect that people will accuse all the composters and recyclers of virtue signaling and hypocrisy.
- parineum 4y agoGuess who buys things from industry?
- 23skidoo 4y ago
- Rebelgecko 4y agoIt's a statewide mandate (well, the separate can part isn't- some regions use the same cans for food waste and lawn clippings)
- whatshisface 4y agoWho are they selling them to, and how will they get out from the responsibility?
- danuker 4y agoCompanies that exist only to enter such risky markets. The upside is turned into dividends. But if a law gets passed to make the owners clean up, poof, bankruptcy. The very definiion of "Limited Liability".
- Invictus0 4y agoOne of the companies they sell them to is DEC, which I invest in. These old wells are still profitable but only for organizations with lower cost structures that specialize in handling these sorts of end-of-life regulations and maintenances. State governments subsidize them to maintain the wells long into the future. https://www.div.energy/ https://www.div.energy/
- simonebrunozzi 4y agoYou made me think of this DEC [0], which of course is another thing. Which one is the DEC you are referring to, and how do you invest in it? [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Equipment_Corporation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Equipment_Corporation
- Invictus0 4y agoThe link I posted is DEC's website. The name is Diversified Energy Corporation, DEC is their ticker.
- thinkcontext 4y agoBottom feeder companies that will squeeze some money out of them before declaring bankruptcy. Because of inadequate bonding requirements taxpayers will wind up footing the bill for cleanup. Its deja vu all over again with the coal industry.
- mint2 4y ago> In LA, for example, the LADWP is test-driving a program where food scraps - vegetables, but also meats and fats - are diverted into green bins Moved to SF from LA area. Sf does the green bins and it’s actually surprisingly nice to separate the compostable scraps out of the other trash. It keeps the trash bin much cleaner and much less stinky. If I moved back to an area that didn’t require it, I’d still keep them separate and only re-combine at the curbside bin.
- smeej 4y agoI keep my food scraps in a bag in my refrigerator until it's time for curbside pickup. It definitely helps keep the smells and gnats away!
- QuercusMax 4y agoSame here in Portland - we only have trash pickup every other week but the green bin weekly. Works nicely and the trash stays pretty fresh!
- riffraff 4y agoWe have compostable bin pickup twice a week in my hometown in Italy, a ton of things are compostable with industrial composters these days which you could not easily compost at home, also thanks to regulations (e.g. shopping bags, tea bags, some food packaging etc), so the other bins stay pretty empty.
- detritus 4y agoImportant to note that, at least in my experience, most of the 'plastic bags' in Italy are the compostable kind. In the UK they're still in the minotrity (I've only seen our version of the Co-Op offer them, for instance). You might wish to be wary about tea bags, mind - here in the UK our tea producers are still struggling to release bags free of thin heat-pressed polypropylene sealing strips... .
- webinvest 4y agoI see entire apartment complexes that don’t have recycling options at all, whatsoever.
- rjsw 4y agoGreen bins for food waste don't work if you have Airbnb nearby.