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Sunday, May 18, 2014

Robert Howarth and Anthony Ingraffea Shale Gas Methane Briefing, May 7, 2014



Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2FTM7TA0uQ

Slides from the video are here: http://bit.ly/1orpRvQ

Chesapeake Climate Action Network * Earthworks * Sierra Club
ADVISORY: MAY 7, 2014
CONTACTS:
Ted Glick, CCAN, 240-396-2155
Alan Septoff, Earthworks, 202-887-1872 x105
Mark Westlund, Sierra Club, 415-977-5719

Authors of 1st peer-reviewed scientific study of fracking methane emissions
to assess National Climate Assessment, White House methane reduction strategy

Briefing via webinar on May 7th at 2 p.m. EST

Robert Howarth, Ph.D., and Anthony Ingraffea, Ph.D. PE, co-authors with Renee Santoro of the first published peer-reviewed scientific study of methane emissions from shale gas production, will make presentations and answer questions during a telephone/webinar press conference on Wednesday, May 7, at 2:00 p.m. EST.
The briefing will focus on two areas: critique of the White House “Climate Action Plan – Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions,” and comparison of EPA’s methane greenhouse gas inventory estimate against recent measurements of methane emissions by NOAAHarvardStanfordPurdue and others.
Howarth and Ingraffea will explain why current science means the Obama administration’s new proposals do not adequately address the climate change effects of shale gas, and natural gas generally. They will explain how the Obama administration’s proposals contradict the latest report on methane and its climate change impacts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released on March 31, 2014.
Those wishing to participate in the press conference should RSVP to Alan Septoff: aseptoff@earthworksaction.org or 202-887-1872 x105.
Howarth and Ingraffea’s 2011 study, “Methane and the Greenhouse-Gas Footprint of Natural Gas from Shale Formations,” concluded “the large greenhouse gas footprint of shale gas undercuts the logic of its use as a bridging fuel over coming decades, if the goal is to reduce global warming.” Although much denigrated, most subsequent measurements of shale gas field methane emissions have supported their conclusion.
Robert Howarth has been a tenured faculty member at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, since 1985, and has held an endowed faculty position, the David R. Atkinson Professor of Ecology & Environmental Biology, since 1993. He is the Founding Editor of the journal Biogeochemistry and an adjunct senior research scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. He has performed research and published scientific papers on environmental risk assessment and the consequences of pollution, including the effects of oil and gas development, since the mid-1970s.
Anthony Ingraffea is the Dwight C. Baum Professor of Engineering at Cornell University, and has taught structural and fracture mechanics at Cornell for 37 years. He is the President and a Founding Board Member of Physicians, Scientists and Engineers for Healthy Energy. Dr. Ingraffea's research concentrates on computer simulation and physical testing of complex fracturing processes, including hydraulic fracturing. He performed R&D for the oil and gas industry for over 20 years. He is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the premier journal in his field, Engineering Fracture Mechanics.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
IPCC 5th Assessment Report: http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/index.shtml
Peer-reviewed research showing methane emissions from gas production are much higher than EPA estimates:
“Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations,” Climatic Change, June 2011: http://bit.ly/Howarth-Santoro-Ingraffea
CIRES, NOAA observe significant methane leaks in a Utah natural gas field, August 2013: http://bit.ly/1mvkC1g
“Anthropogenic emissions of methane in the United States,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, October 2013: http://bit.ly/1mveNfL
“Methane Leakage from North American Natural Gas Systems,” Science, February 2013: http://bit.ly/1iV2vcD
“Towards a better understanding and quantification of methane emissions of shale development,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, March 2014: http://bit.ly/1lRUL0A
To be published this month: “Methane emissions and the greenhouse gas footprint of natural gas,” Energy Science & Engineering, April 2014: http://bit.ly/Howarth-EnergyScience-paper

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