Monday, May 10, 2021 | 2 a.m.
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The recent news that the Untied Nations will release a report recognizing the harmful effects of methane is welcome.
Methane is a greenhouse gas, more potent than carbon dioxide, and reducing methane pollution is easier and cheaper than reducing carbon dioxide. Most methane pollution comes from leaks and other releases from oil and gas infrastructure, rather than the burning of fossil fuels, so if energy companies take this warning seriously, they could begin to compete now to develop the technology to curtail those leaks.
Also interesting is the move by congressional Democrats to reinstate regulations designed to limit methane emissions from oil and gas fields. The Senate approved a resolution to undo an environmental rollback by the former president. Three Republican senators joined Democrats to approve the measure, which needed only a simple majority to pass. Approval in the House is expected.
I appreciate the increasing attention being paid to the climate emergency as more information comes to light and there is movement to seek innovation for greenhouse gas-reducing technologies. If climate measures are incorporated into bipartisan legislation, the best tool to complement them will be a price on carbon — not a solution by itself, but a catalyst for others. Studies show it would be effective in reducing emissions, easy to implement, and equitable to all sectors of the green economy.
It’s an economic fact: If we want to reduce something — in this case carbon pollution — make it more expensive.
