Methane reduction is a critical climate opportunity

Methane is bad news. Here are some quick facts about methane and how it impacts our planet: 

What is methane?
​According to The Environmental Defense Fund, methane is a potent greenhouse gas that has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide, especially over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere. Even though CO2 has a longer-lasting effect, methane sets the pace for warming in the near term.


What is a greenhouse gas again?
Sometimes we forget about the basics of climate change and that’s okay! The USA’s Environmental Protection Agency says greenhouse gasses trap heat in the atmosphere. (Hence, global warming.)

How does methane contribute to climate change?
About 30% of today’s global warming is driven by methane from human actions (EDF). Plus, according to the EPA, methane is more than 28 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Over the last two centuries, methane concentrations in the atmosphere have more than doubled, largely due to human-related activities.


Where does all this methane mysteriously come from?
​Honestly, it is a bit mysterious. Spooky, huh? Methane comes from natural and human-made sources (landfills, oil/gas, agriculture, etc.)

What’s worse: five times more methane is being leaked from oil and gas production than it is being reported. Plus, methane gas use may affect climate as much as coal if methane leaks persist. HEATED reports the urgent need for methane literacy, because we are being fooled by the oil and gas industry.


How are we being fooled?
​Have you heard of natural gas? Probably, because it’s everywhere. It likely heats your home unless you’ve got renewable energy. The “natural” in “natural gas” may sound like a good thing. However, “natural gas” is primarily made of methane, one of the world’s most potent, most harmful greenhouse gasses. We should be calling it—as Emily from HEATED does—methane gas.


When people hear “natural”, they think “clean”. That is a massive W for methane and an L for our planet.

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Above, you saw a link from the Environmental defense Fund about the crucial climate solutions opportunity that methane provides. That took us down a rabbit hole where we learned about MethaneSAT, a super cool satellite. We’re kind of obsessed with MethaneSAT and if you want to join the fan club, learn more here!

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As we continued to internet stalk MethaneSAT, we found this incredible TED talk by scientist Ilissa Ocko. The “incredible” part, specifically, is the way she presents the methane problem and how she shares the immediate solutions available to us (including MethaneSAT)!  ✨

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You’ll learn that:

• 💨 Methane comprises ~only 1% of the human-caused climate-warming emissions we talk about, but that 1% of methane could cause MORE warming in the next decade than the 99% of CO2!
  
  
• ☁️ We MUST reduce CO2 because it lingers in the atmosphere longer whereas methane lingers around for a decade; however, methane reduction is a really important short-term solution to stabilizing our climate.
  
  
• 😲 Bad news: methane’s warming power is almost entirely from recent emissions.
  
  
• 😊 Good news: Every time we reduce methane, we can reduce a lot of warming immediately. Dr. Ocko says, “Cutting methane is the single fastest and most effective opportunity to slow down the rate of warming.”
  
  
• 😁 Great news: We have the technologies available right now (like MethaneSAT) to cut methane emissions from humans IN HALF and many of these solutions pay for themselves!

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Dr. Ocko does a lot in her sub-ten-minute TED talk, so she glosses over the problematic nature of the factory farming industry and a few other topics—like how energy, waste, and agriculture and three pieces of the methane problem. However, a human can only do so much in 10 minutes. 

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Methane reduction is an important key to reducing climate change impacts! By tackling methane emissions as a whole, we can make significant strides in cooling down the planet.

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The methane crisis might seem like an issue that we have no control over, but don’t worry, we got you. Here are three actions you can take to help:

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1. Commit to calling it methane gas, not “natural gas.”
The first step to reducing methane as an everyday human is getting methane-literate. Natural gas is primarily methane and methane is a way more intense trapper of heat than CO2. So, if we continue to release more methane gas, our planet is even more screwed.

2. Stop fracking around!
Sierra Club (which you should absolutely join) is fighting hard to stop the expansion of new fracked gas efforts. This will SIGNIFICANTLY increase natural gas emissions, Remember, natural gas = methane gas. Sign this petition to tell them to stop fracking. ​If you live outside the U.S., you can sign it anyway and use a U.S. zip code like 20024. Methane emissions area global issue! 

You can also join your local environmental justice policy group (eg., Sierra Club,  350.org)——they’re currently addressing the methane problem and they can help you get plugged in.

3. Nerd out on MethaneSAT data.
This little guy speaks for itself—take a tour!

4. Take a peek at Blue Ocean Barns.
Ever wonder how our deep sea creatures can help? Blue Ocean Barns developed a kelp and seaweed based diet supplement that reduces enteric methane from cows (which mostly comes from burps) by ~80%. 

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Or you could just figure out how to make a cow fart less, and if you decide that's your innovation, please report back urgently! 🐄

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Before we go any further, it's time for you to pledge your commitment. It takes less than 30 seconds to pledge and we can bother you about it in a friendly way, so we can hold each other accountable. Pledge here!

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🎯 Action step 4 of 4: REFLECT — what can you commit to? What fresh perspectives can we look at?

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How can we use thoughtful language in the climate movement to reflect on  "natural" methane gas, how it impacts our planet, and ways we can reframe the problem?

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Your reflection is yours and yours only, but we recommend setting your timer for 3 minutes and writing down a response to at least one of these prompts. 

• What did you learn about methane recently? What pissed you off about the way "natural gas" has been positioned?
  
  
• Methane's huge problem also poses a HUGE OPPORTUNITY. Where are you in your methane knowledge journey (e.g. Do you want to deepen your understanding / advocacy / innovation? Do you feel if it is/isn’t relevant to your life?) How does the opportunity make you feel?
  
  
• How will you commit to more truthful language around methane, especially when so many people don't know about the harms it poses? One suggestion: come up with a few "if/then" statements that will help you. "If I ever have a conversation where natural gas comes up, then I will ask if the other person knows what it's made of." or "If I ever talk about natural gas, then I will refer to it as methane gas."

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Language makes a huge difference, which is why we suggested the new and more accurate term, "methane gas."

As we continue to stay informed, advocate, and spread the word, we can tackle methane emissions together and make a big difference in the fight against climate change!

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‍🏁 Checkpoint: This is the end of action step 4 of 4: REFLECT.

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Check out our membership community for more resources like free weekly events with social justice experts, sustainable product discounts, pre-written email templates, a social impact job board, and in-person hangouts with new friends. Thanks for taking action with Soapbox Project!