The urgency of the climate crisis becomes more apparent each passing year. As the Concord Monitor reported just days ago, 2022 was the fifth or sixth warmest year on record. The year saw a panoply of natural disasters and extreme weather around the world, from deadly flooding in Pakistan to scorching heat waves in Europe to devastating Hurricane Ian in Florida, to name just a few of the bleak stories to hit the news. This ongoing crisis requires our urgent action, yesterday. While the pressing need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is rightly widely discussed, less-discussed is methane, a greenhouse gas significantly more potent than carbon dioxide.

Methane’s heightened global warming potential (compared to carbon dioxide) means that it’s crucial to target swift, widespread methane emission reductions in conjunction with action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an open comment period for a proposed regulation on methane emissions. If enacted, this rule, by tightening regulations on emissions from oil and gas operations, is expected to reduce methane emissions by a striking 87% by 2030 (compared to 2005). Further, the rule is projected to net $34 billion in economic benefits by 2035. Drawing down methane emissions is crucial to meeting our climate goals. I encourage you to leave a comment in support of the EPA’s proposed regulation at regulations.gov. Our voices matter, and we have the power to speak up in support of a cleaner, safer future.

Hannah Waris

Milford

]]>