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Tag: methane

Al Gore and Jerry Brown in Paris (Michel Euler / Associated Press)

Anti-Fracking Protesters Target Jerry Brown in Paris

California Gov. Jerry Brown may think he has staked a position on the environment that will please the left, but he hasn’t gone far enough: groups that oppose fracking are targeting him in Paris on Wednesday afternoon with a protest at the Le Bourget conference site.

EPA logo

EPA Targeting Oil & Gas Industry Even Though Emissions Down

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken yet another regulatory action to interfere with oil and gas production – long considered an activity with de minimus impact on air quality. The Agency now sets its sights on methane, which is the primary component of natural gas. Methane emissions from natural gas systems have fallen by 14.3% from 2008-2012. Any leaks from hydraulically fractured natural gas wells have fallen by 73% from 2011-2013. In this same time frame, the U.S. has become the world’s leading producer of natural gas, nearly quadrupling production rates from those in 2008, as well as increasing natural gas pipelines by 30%. In spite of the steep decline of methane emissions and steady economic growth, the White House recently moved forward with the Climate Action Plan, directing the EPA to propose expansive rules by the summer of 2015. The new regulations aim to reduce methane emissions by 40-45% from 2012 levels by 2025 through a series of actions targeting the oil and gas industry.