Georgia Balmer
A recent report showcasing Mexico’s methane leak rate has raised alarms for climate scientists.
In a report commissioned by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a U.S. non-profit advocacy group, scientists studied the data collected by the Tropospheric Moningering Instrument on board a European Space Agency satellite. The findings from 2018 to 2019 have been noted as “alarming and worrying”.
Mexico now releases more methane than the United States, the largest global producer of oil. Emitting two times the US’ rates, Mexico releases 4.7% of gas produced into the atmosphere.
The Problem with Methane
Methane, a byproduct of the gas and oil industry, is considered to be a major driving force of global warming. The United Nations has stated that Methane emissions are responsible for 30% of global warming since the pre-industrial era.
Inger Anderson, the United Nations Environmental Programme executive director, commented that solving methane emissions is “the strongest lever we have to slow climate change over the next 25 years.”
Currently, countries are not required to disclose their methane leakage rates. This allows staggering rates such as Mexico’s, to go unregulated and contribute to rising global temperatures with no consequences.
Causes of the leak
Regulations are desperately needed to reverse the effects of rising methane emissions if we are to tackle the overarching climate crisis. Halving Mexico’s methane emissions would have the same benefit as removing one-third of total car passengers in the country. It would also allow Mexico to become more gas efficient.
The biggest culprit for methane leaks is inefficient wastage. Currently, 1.3 million tons of methane is wasted in the country each year. This is around one third of the nation’s total natural gas imports. Reusing this methane to fuel power stations would save £144 million a year.
Senior scientist, Daniel Zavala, stated three main reasons for Mexico’s staggering leak rate. Pointing the blame at midstream facilities who gather, compress, and process the gas. The process of venting, in which gas is released from oil wells without being captured, and flaring, burning gas at the wells, are also listed as significant contributors to the rising annual rate.
Looking Towards the Future
Earlier this year, US president Joe Biden, highlighted the importance of tackling short term pollutants in the strategy against global warming. Methane, whilst only lasting in the atmosphere for around a decade, is significantly more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Reducing methane leaks now, would result in a considerable reduction of methane in the atmosphere by 2031.
The former Mexican energy regulator has commented that capturing more gas would allow President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s government, to become more energy independent whilst significantly tackling the climate crisis. President Obrador is yet to comment on the leak, despite making earlier comments about tackling maintenance issues within the sector. Improving the efficiency at oil and gas plants would be a major step in reducing Mexico’s leak rate.
However, oil and gas methane emissions only account for a quarter of Mexico’s man made emissions. The rest coming from landfills, agriculture and livestock.
The new report is a warning- not only to Mexico, but to the international community as a whole- that more needs to be done to lower methane emissions globally.
Featured image courtesy of Jorge Aguilar on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license can be found here.
