Articles tagged with "methane"
Methane-eating bacteria turn waste gas into valuable materials
A recent scientific review highlights the potential of methane-eating bacteria, known as methanotrophs, to convert methane—a potent greenhouse gas—into valuable products like animal feed, biodegradable plastics, and cleaner fuels. Methanotrophs consume methane as both a carbon and energy source, naturally thriving in methane-rich environments such as wetlands and landfills. By oxidizing methane through specialized enzymes under mild conditions, these microbes offer a dual benefit: reducing methane emissions while enabling low-energy manufacturing pathways. Researchers are developing practical applications including landfill bio covers, methane-stripping biofilters, and wastewater treatments seeded with methanotrophs to capture and utilize methane effectively. However, the review also cautions that methane removal via methanotrophs can sometimes increase emissions of nitrous oxide, another potent greenhouse gas, due to microbial competition for metals. Therefore, designing systems that balance reductions in both gases is critical. Beyond emission control, methanotrophs can act as biological factories producing methanol,
energymaterialsmethanegreenhouse-gasesbiodegradable-plasticsmicrobial-biotechnologywaste-gas-conversionWho Gives A Sh**T About The Climate Crisis? RFK Jr. Says "Let 'Em Eat Steak - & Milk & Cheese" - CleanTechnica
The article discusses new dietary guidelines issued by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services, which controversially prioritize meat, cheese, and whole milk as primary food choices. RFK Jr. promotes eating “real food,” emphasizing animal-based proteins such as red meat, eggs, poultry, and seafood. However, this approach conflicts with environmental and health research showing that meat-heavy diets generate significantly higher greenhouse gas emissions—about 7.2 kg CO2 equivalent per day compared to 2.9 kg for vegan diets—and are linked to poorer cardiovascular health outcomes. Experts cited in the article advocate for plant-based protein sources like beans, lentils, soy, nuts, and seeds, which are both healthier and more sustainable. The article also explains the environmental impact of cattle, focusing on methane emissions produced through their digestive process, which contributes substantially to climate change. Methane reduction is critical to meeting the Paris Agreement goals, requiring a 45% cut by 2050. The piece
energyclimate-changegreenhouse-gas-emissionsmethanesustainable-dietenvironmental-impactcarbon-footprintHydrogen buildup adds hidden warming risk to energy transition
New research reveals that hydrogen, long considered a clean energy ally, is contributing to global warming through its rising atmospheric levels over the past three decades. A comprehensive global assessment by the Global Carbon Project shows hydrogen concentrations increased about 70% from preindustrial times to the early 2000s, stabilized briefly, then rose again around 2010, mainly due to human activities such as industrial hydrogen production, methane oxidation, and agricultural nitrogen fixation. Although hydrogen does not directly trap heat, it indirectly warms the planet by interfering with atmospheric “detergents” that break down methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This interference prolongs methane’s atmospheric lifetime, amplifying its warming effect. The study highlights a warming feedback loop where increasing methane oxidation produces more hydrogen, which in turn slows methane breakdown, exacerbating climate change. Hydrogen-related reactions also generate other greenhouse gases like ozone and stratospheric water vapor, further intensifying warming. Despite hydrogen’s indirect role, its cumulative effect has raised global temperatures by about
energyhydrogen-emissionsclimate-changegreenhouse-gasesmethaneatmospheric-chemistryglobal-warmingWastewater plants emit twice the greenhouse gases, US study finds
A recent Princeton-led study reveals that wastewater treatment plants in the U.S. emit significantly more greenhouse gases—methane and nitrous oxide—than previously estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The researchers found that these facilities produce 2.4 times more methane and 1.9 times more nitrous oxide than EPA calculations, accounting for approximately 2.5% of U.S. methane and 8.1% of nitrous oxide emissions. Given that these gases have contributed to about 22% of global warming since 1850, the study highlights wastewater plants as a more substantial source of climate pollution than recognized. The research team conducted extensive field measurements over 14 months using a mobile lab equipped with advanced sensors, visiting 96 plants that process about 9% of U.S. wastewater. Their findings showed emissions vary widely with environmental conditions such as temperature and rainfall, and that most emissions come from a relatively small number of plants. This suggests targeted interventions could effectively reduce emissions without
energygreenhouse-gas-emissionswastewater-treatmentmethanenitrous-oxideenvironmental-impactpollution-monitoringTwiggy Forrest's Billionaire Bubble On Hydrogen’s Risks - CleanTechnica
The article critiques Australian billionaire Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest's dismissal of the climate risks posed by hydrogen as an energy source, highlighting a broader trend of "hydrogen climate harm denial." During a discussion with UK climate policy expert Baroness Bryony Worthington, Forrest challenged the established science that hydrogen acts as an indirect greenhouse gas by inhibiting the breakdown of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Forrest accused the Environmental Defense Fund of spreading misinformation, but the article clarifies that his claims contradict well-established atmospheric science. Scientific consensus shows that hydrogen competes with methane for hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere, reducing methane’s breakdown and thereby prolonging its greenhouse effect. Studies since the 1990s have quantified hydrogen’s global warming potential (GWP), with recent research indicating a GWP over 20 years approximately 33-37 times that of carbon dioxide and over 100 years about 11-12 times. While exact values vary, the evidence consistently indicates hydrogen’s significant indirect warming impact, especially relevant
energyhydrogen-energyclimate-changegreenhouse-gasesmethaneglobal-warming-potentialclean-energy-debateUS & Canada Will Drown Us All In A Sea Of Methane - CleanTechnica
The article from CleanTechnica highlights a growing contradiction between the promotion of renewable energy and the continued aggressive expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure in North America, particularly in the US and Canada. Despite the global push for decarbonization, Canada’s new government under Prime Minister Mark Carney is fast-tracking infrastructure projects through Bill C-5, prioritizing economic growth by expanding natural resource extraction, especially methane gas from the vast Montney Formation in British Columbia and Alberta. The legislation aims to bypass regulatory hurdles, Indigenous objections, and local opposition to accelerate drilling and export of methane, primarily targeting Asian markets. This move is partly driven by a desire to assert economic independence from the US, which has shown less interest in Canadian resources. However, this strategy poses significant environmental risks. The Montney Formation alone holds an estimated 449 trillion cubic feet of methane, and plans to increase wells from about 14,000 to 32,000 threaten to undermine Canada’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris
energymethanenatural-gasrenewable-energyfossil-fuelsenvironmental-policyinfrastructure-projectsNewly-found sea spiders survive on methane-fed microbial coats
Scientists have discovered three new species of sea spiders (genus Sericosura) in the deep Pacific Ocean that survive by grazing on methane-eating microbes living on their translucent exoskeletons. Unlike typical sea spiders that hunt prey by piercing and sucking fluids, these spiders lack hunting tools and instead farm bacteria that convert methane leaking from the seafloor into sugars and fats. This symbiotic relationship allows the spiders to obtain nutrition directly from their microbial coats, effectively turning them into living ecosystems. This unique feeding strategy is the first of its kind observed in sea spiders and highlights a novel adaptation to the extreme, sunless environment of methane seeps. These tiny, nearly transparent spiders—about 1 centimeter long—are found in localized populations off the U.S. West Coast and Alaska. Their reproductive behavior is also unusual: females release hundreds of eggs from their kneecaps, which males carry in sac-like bundles on their limbs, passing methane-consuming bacteria to their offspring to ensure an immediate food source.
energymethanedeep-seamicrobial-symbiosiscarbon-cyclechemosynthesisclimate-changeWorld's widest burning gas crater is finally starting to die out
The Darvaza Gas Crater, also known as the "Door to Hell," is a massive natural gas fire in Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert that has been burning continuously since 1971. It originated when Soviet geologists accidentally drilled into an underground gas pocket and ignited it intentionally to prevent the release of toxic gases. Expected to burn out within weeks, the crater's flames have persisted for over 54 years, consuming millions of cubic meters of natural gas annually. The crater measures approximately 230 feet wide and 100 feet deep, with temperatures exceeding 1,832°F (1,000°C), and has become a notable tourist attraction drawing over 10,000 visitors each year. Recent reports from Turkmengaz, Turkmenistan’s state gas company, indicate that the crater's flames have significantly weakened as most of the flammable gas has been depleted. At a scientific conference in Ashgabat in June 2025, researchers revealed that the fire’s intensity has dropped to about a third of its original size, with flames now only visible up close rather than from miles away. Efforts to contain methane emissions by drilling wells around the site have contributed to this decline. This development may finally address long-standing concerns about the loss of valuable natural gas and environmental impacts, marking a potential end to one of the world's longest-burning gas fires.
energynatural-gasmethanegas-craterhydrocarbon-developmentemissions-reductionenergy-transitionBeyond the Hydrogen Mirage: A Candid Conversation with Joe Romm - CleanTechnica
energyhydrogencarbon-capturesustainabilityclimate-solutionsmethaneclean-technology