Methane & The Environment: What You Need to Know

As explained in this article, when biodegradable materials like paper, banana peels, avocado pits, apple cores, and other food waste and scraps are thrown away into the trash, they are unable to break down in the way that nature had intended. Rather than decaying back into the soil, when organic matter is tightly squished under piles and piles of compressed trash, they are forced to decompose anaerobically (aka without the presence of oxygen). When this happens, methane is created as a byproduct. By the Numbers: Landfills are the third largest source of human-related methane in the United States, accounting for just over 15% of total U.S. methane emissions. Level of individual ability to combat: high. Why? Through daily choices, individual waste can be reduced. Composting is a top way to reduce waste to landfills and thus reduce methane. Other ways? Connect with friends, family, and community members to inspire them to reduce waste by sharing this article. Additionally, individuals can work with policy members to create policy to focus on reducing waste such as city-wide composting. Check out this post on why voting is so important for the environment.

The extraction of fossil fuels is another leading contributor to methane emissions, with natural gas (38% of the total U.S. energy sector) as the leader. The process of extracting natural gas from miles beneath Earth’s surface usually involves hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking aka the worst thing EVER), which requires drilling down into shale rock and then forcing water, sand, and a cocktail of hundreds of different chemicals (many of which are toxic to humans and the environment!) at extremely high pressure. This mixture and pressure cause the rock to break, which releases trapped natural gas. The gas is then flowed up to the surface by wells and then sent off to a natural gas processing plant to be converted into usable energy. The problem is, methane is the largest component of natural gas and it is commonly (and I mean far. too. commonly.) leaked into the atmosphere during the production, processing, storage, transmission, and distribution process of fracking and collecting natural gas. If you want to learn more, check out Gasland by my friend Josh Fox. Natural gas is also found with crude oil, and methane is trapped in coal deposits, so the collection and combustion of oil, as well as the mining for coal, also contribute to increased methane emissions. By the Numbers: Worldwide, the energy sector contributes to roughly 25% of annual methane emissions—which equals 108 million tonnes of methane being released into the atmosphere annually. Level of individual ability to combat: low/medium. What energy your household uses is very difficult to control unless you are building a home from scratch or have the ability to install solar or geothermal. If you live in a city, like me, you are pretty dependent on the grid. While there are options to “switch to a reusable energy provider”, this option doesn’t mean your building magically receives renewable energy, it just subsidizes the production of more sustainable energy sources. If you have the ability to do this, I suggest it, but if not, the next best thing is to VOTE for politicians that want to move away from big oil and antiquated energy sources and towards natural, renewable energy. Again, check out this post on why voting is so important for the environment.

In the United States, 42 percent of agricultural emissions come from animal agriculture. Whenever livestock, including cows, buffalo, sheep, goats, and camels, digest food, methane is produced as a by-product of the digestion process and is repelled every time the animal breathes, burps or you guessed it, farts. Studies show that a single cow can produce anywhere from 250 and 500 liters, or about 66 to 132 gallons, of methane a day. To put that number into perspective, the average U.S. car only holds about 16 gallons of gas. By the Numbers: Livestock currently accounts for 40% of annual methane emissions, and that number will only continue to rise as demand for beef and dairy grows. Level of individual ability to combat: medium. While choosing to eat or not eat meat sounds simple, in some places, it is the only source of protein and food that people have and in some instances, dietary restrictions make it difficult to make the switch. If you do have the ability to choose your protein source and have flexibility in your diet, not eating meat or reducing the amount of meat you consume is an incredible way to reduce methane emissions and combat climate change.