Natural Gas

Methane is highly efficient at trapping heat, making it a powerful greenhouse gas — 84 times more powerful, on average, than carbon dioxide, in the first two decades after its release. Wherever methane escapes into the atmosphere from well pads, pipelines, and other fracking-related activities, that’s climate pollution. TAKE ACTION: Tell President Obama to limit methane emissions from natural gas operations. Need any more reasons to plug the leaks? Here are four. These air pollutants, potentially harmful for our families and communities, are emitted right alongside heat-trapping methane. BTEX, or benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene. Eyes, nose, mouth, and throat irritants. Asthma triggers. Associated with blood disorders, cancer, and harm to the developing fetus. Nitrogen oxides. Lung irritants and asthma triggers. Contribute to smog formation. Hydrogen sulfide. Toxic and explosive gas. Damages central nervous system. Can be fatal at high levels. Smog. Volatile organic compounds like BTEX combine with heat and sunlight in the atmosphere to form ground level ozone, or smog. Smog is a powerful lung irritant and asthma trigger that interferes with normal lung development. Where natural gas is being drilled, compressed, and sent through pipelines, you can find methane leaking, along with these co-pollutants. Like many complex problems, contained within this polluting system is also tremendous opportunity: If we reduce methane leaks from natural gas operations, these dangerous pollutants will decline too. TAKE ACTION: Tell President Obama to limit methane emissions from natural gas operations. Every day, fracking wells leak dangerous methane pollution — and it’s completely unregulated! As the second most-emitted gas in the U.S., methane is a major contributor to climate change, it’s making our families sick, and it needs to stop. The EPA has proposed the first-ever limits on methane pollution from new and modified sources in the oil and gas industry. But Big Oil is pushing back — hard. The American Petroleum Institute and the Petroleum Association of America say that the standards are “unnecessary” and that the industry can regulate itself. But we know that when Big Oil is left to its own devices, our climate and public health suffer the most. Still, climate change deniers and Big Polluter allies in Congress are going to be doing everything they can to weaken these standards. So we need the EPA to stand strong, and in order for these standards to be the strongest possible, they need to hear from you. We’re 1/3 of the way to our 50,000 signature goal! Join us and demand strong methane standards » We’re making enormous strides in the fight against climate change. This summer, after hundreds of thousands of concerned Americans like you spoke up, the EPA released the first-ever national standards on carbon pollution. Methane pollution from fracking is the next step in the fight. Please, sign your name today.

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