[Thematic Report, July] Climate Changeby Prince Foley | 20-08-2023 04:28 |
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#Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, plays a pivotal role in global climate change, and its reduction has become a pressing concern. While various sources contribute to methane emissions, the management of organic waste represents a significant opportunity to tackle this environmental challenge. We want to focus on the fascinating world of waste-to-energy systems, exploring their potential to curb methane emissions and pave the way for a more sustainable future. CH4 possesses a worrying ability to trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, about 25 times greater than carbon dioxide, exacerbating the greenhouse effect and contributing to global warming. Methane emissions sources span from agriculture and livestock to landfills and industrial processes. In the quest for mitigating, waste-to-energy (WtE) systems encompass a range of technologies that convert organic waste, such as food scraps, yard trimmings, and agricultural residues, into valuable energy forms, including electricity and heat. WtE systems tackle two critical issues at once: reducing methane emissions and generating sustainable energy. The quantity and quality of methane generated in a typical landfill depends on many parameters, but in global terms, studies from previous years show that landfills emit at least 11% of methane emissions, which corresponds to approximately 18% of the amount attributed to human actions. Satellite-mounted detectors show alarmingly high methane levels over big landfills, such as those in New Delhi, Mumbai, Lahore or Buenos Aires. The COP26 Global Methane Commitment (GMP) (November 2021) to focus action to reduce methane emissions already has 150 participating countries, which are responsible for more than half of global methane emissions from human activity. Countries have committed to work together to collectively reduce methane emissions by at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030. Since then, many countries have been working on their national action plans to address methane emissions. Large companies have created their strategies in the same direction. It remains to be seen to what extent all of them will be able to implement their plans efficiently and what the actual overall result will be. What is 100% certain is that the sooner actions are taken - the better, while clean technologies for waste transformation will be a great ally in the process. References https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/methane-emissions-are-driving-climate-change-heres-how-reduce-them
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