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Methane is a greenhouse gas that can warm the atmosphere 80 times as fast as carbon dioxide in the short term. Methane leaks out of oil and natural gas wells and is produced in burning of oil, natural gas and coal. It is also produced by livestock and landfills. US president Biden and 90 countries have pledged to control methane gas emissions at COP26 in Glasgow by signing a methane pledge. The methane pledge is for reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030. US, EU, Nigeria, Indonesia have signed the pledge. China, Russia, India have still to sign the pledge.

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Efforts by China's climate envoy at Glasgow COP26 and US envoy John Kerry to build cooperation between China and the US on climate change. This happens at the end of COP26 talks and after president Jinping missed the Glasgow summit. Xie says China will work towards "concrete plans" for "finalization of the Paris Agreement rulebook." The US China agreement is not specific on details but includes arranging regular talks, and also a focus on curbing methane gas emissions which can produce immediate results in reducing global warming. The US and over 100 countries signed an agreement on methane gas emissions control. 

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A 'Use Up' day to tackle food that gets wasted after going bad in the fridge, adding to the compost and greenhouse methane gas emissions from burning waste. Picking one day a week to create a meal from food that is already in the kitchen or fridge, that reduces waste.

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Technology that combines food waste with cow manure to produce renewable natural gas or RNG is becoming popular. Black Rock is buying Vanguard Renewables, a company that does this in Vermont for $700 million and investing another $1 billion for RNG production. Trapping methane emissions is part of the program put forward at COP26 Glasgow.

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Farming vegetables causes less greenhouse than livestock production. Climate experts say people should eat more vegetables for better health and for slowing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

Consider that studies show farming and other land use account for about a fourth of all greenhouse gas emissions, and about half of methane gas emissions are released into the atmosphere from cattle and rice fields. Meat in particular has more greenhouse gas emissions. 

Climate experts say the nutritional value of wheat grown in higher CO2 areas is 6% to 13% less for protein, and 5% to 8% less for iron. Another problem aggravating the situation is that drought has grown 1% a year between 1961 and 2013, IPCC researchers have found. This is a result of the growing climate change issues. Drought and nutrition is a major problem in India and Africa.

 

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Looking long term at climate change actions that need to be taken European oil companies are likely to turn the current problem into an opportunity. This includes Shell, BP, Total. Prof. Michael Grubb of the University College, London, says the current oil crisis will only accelerate European oil companies investments into renewables and electric vehicle infrastructure.

This WSJ report points out that Shell, BP and Exxon have provided the advanced technology that makes production from challenging assets such as in the Arctic possible. With the withdrawal of this technology production increases will be limited and higher methane gas emissions are likely overall from Europe's eastern region. Exxon is likely to invest more in natural gas projects as it makes its withdrawal.

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These are key provisions in the biggest climate change bill in history- Tax credits that last for over a decade for zero carbon plants- these tax credits go to companies that build new sources of emissions free electricity, for wind turbines, solar panels, battery storage, geo thermal plants. Tax credits also for new technologies that capture and bury carbon dioxide from natural gas plants and industrial facilities before it escapes into the atmosphere and heats the planet. This technology is rarely used because of high costs. Incentives for electric vehicles- It extends a tax credit of $7500 for new electric vehicles. It adds a $4000 tax credit for used electric vehicles. Tax credit goes only to people earning $150,000 a year (300,000 for joint filers) for new EV's and $75,000 (150,000 for joint filers) for used EV's. Help for people to lower energy costs - $9 billion in rebates for Americans installing energy efficient electrical appliances. And a decade of tax credits for Americans installing rooftop solar, heat pumps, water heaters and electric HVAC, or electric heating, air conditioning and ventilation technologies. Investments in Domestic Manufacturing- $60 billion for investments in clean energy manufacturing in the US. This includes $30 billion for production tax credits for solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and critical minerals processing. $10 billion in investment tax credits to build manufacturing facilities for electric cars and renewable energy technologies. This action is to halt the shifting of clean energy manufacturing overseas to China. $27 billion towards a green bank that would finance clean energy projects in disadvantaged communities. Cracking down on Methane- the bill places a fine on methane gas emissions from oil and gas wells and pipelines and other infrastructure. Fees of $900 per metric ton in 2024 and $1500 a metric ton in 2026 when it exceeds federally set limits.    ...

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Each year the amount of forestedd land that is cleared- mainly for cattle needing pasture land- releases the equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions of 600 million cars. Since 1961 methane gas emissions from cattle has increased significantly. This is one of the findings in a report published by 100 climate change experts for a UN body. Loss of peatlands in places like Indonesia is also a problem.  A half a billion people already live in desert. And land is being lost a hundred times faster than it is forming due to changes in weather patterns.  People migrate when weather fails as has happened for central American farmers migrating to the U.S. creating social and political problems in North America. A major issue in climate change is agriculture.  Increasing the productivity of land, reducing food wasted, persuading more people to eat healthy vegetables and less meat, reducing land lost to desertification, erosion and seas, are all actions that can be taken now say these 100 experts from 52 countries meeting in Geneva. The IPCC or Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change does these reports to give people some idea of what actions to take to reduce the impact of warming that threatens livelihoods of millions especially in Africa and India, as well as other parts of Asia and Latin America. Developed countries are likely to feel the impact from migration which is dividing their societies politically and socially. As one expert from Aberdeen puts it people don't just stay where they are when drought conditions hit their areas, they migrate. ...