Scientists Fear Methane Emissions from Oceans, Tundra
Reports Find Huge Potential to Cut US Energy Use
EPA Sets Stricter Standards for Energy Star TVs
DOE Finalizes $535M Loan Guarantee for Solyndra
Tiny Algae Loom Large in Biofuel Pilots
US, Australian Advanced Geothermal Projects Face Setbacks
USDA Awards $13M for Rural Clean Energy Projects
Scientists Fear Methane Emissions from Oceans & Tundra due to Warming
Warming of the Arctic ocean over the last 30 years has triggered the release of methane from seabed sediments, according to U.K. researchers. During a recent Arctic survey, scientists from the National Oceanography Centre Southampton (NOCS) found more than 250 plumes of methane gas bubbles rising from the seabed in one area, at depths of about 500 to 1600 feet.
The scientists believe the methane is being released from methane hydrates, which are becoming unstable in the warming conditions. Methane hydrate is an ice-like substance composed of water and methane that is stable in conditions of high pressure and low temperature - huge amounts of methane hydrate are expected to be present in the seabed sediment. The researchers say that most of the methane currently being released from the seabed is dissolved in the seawater before reaching the atmosphere, although they believe periods of more vigorous outflow of methane are possible. See the NOCS press release.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Scientists fear that more widespread warming could release tens of thousands of tons of methane per year. Even if it doesn't reach the surface, it will contribute to the ongoing acidification of the ocean.
The U.K. findings seem to confirm a new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which found that methane is likely spewing into the oceans through vents in the sea floor. The MIT researchers also note that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently observed a plume of gas rising to 4,600 feet above the seabed off the coast of Northern California. The plume was recorded for five minutes before it disappeared, and it was believed to be a plume of methane gas bubbles coated with methane hydrate. See the MIT press release.
Meanwhile, NOAA scientists are concerned about potential releases of methane and CO2 from melting tundra in the Arctic. Billions of tons of carbon are buried in the frozen Arctic tundra, and as the tundra heats up, scientists expect it to produce CO2 and methane, but they aren't sure which will be dominant. To find out, NOAA recently teamed up with the U.S. Coast Guard to operate air-sampling devices aboard a C-130 aircraft that's conducting bimonthly flights from Kodiak Island, which is south of Anchorage, to Barrow, which is at the northernmost tip of Alaska.
Methane emissions in one area of Alaska were recently found to be increasing, but NOAA isn't sure yet whether those emissions were from natural sources or from human activities, such as oil drilling. The flights will continue through November, providing a clearer picture of air emissions in the Arctic. See the NOAA press release.
Reports Find Huge Potential to Cut Energy Use in the US
The US could reduce non-transportation energy consumption by 23% by 2020 by adopting energy efficiency technologies, according to a McKinsey & Company report. It notes that an estimated $520 billion up-front investment (not including program costs) would eliminate more than $1.2 trillion in wasteful energy use, while avoiding 1.1 billion tons of GHG emissions.
Barriers to energy efficiency gains include the need for significant up-front spending in exchange for long-term benefits; the fragmented nature of such efforts that keep it from being a priority (because of the 100 million locations and billions of devices in residential, commercial, and industrial settings); and the difficulty of tracking and verifying energy that is not consumed.
