skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers, warns of larger cuts to come; NYC music school teachers strike after union negotiations break down; Ohio advocates push for inclusive policies during Black History Month; Health experts recommend sunshine, socializing to cure 'winter blues.'

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Federal workers tasked with securing elections from foreign interference are placed on leave, parents' organizations reject dismantling Dept. of Education, and the Congressional Black Caucus presses discussions on slavery reparations.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Colorado, nation face public health, climate risks as methane pollution soars

play audio
Play

Thursday, August 8, 2024   

Methane pollution is increasing at the fastest rate in decades, according to a new report, and that's making it harder to turn the tide on climate change and protect public health. Oil and gas operations are the single biggest source of methane pollution.

Megan Kemp, director with Healthy Air and Water Colorado, said when operators release methane, they are also releasing other toxins into the air known as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.

"Alongside methane, benzene and other VOCs can worsen asthma and other respiratory diseases, it can even increase the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases, the risk of cancer, it can cause immune system damage, and even developmental problems in children," she explained.

On hot summer days, methane and other VOCs combine with sunlight to create ground-level ozone pollution, which has plagued Colorado's Front Range for years, and has led the Environmental Protection Agency to charge the state as a severe violator of clean-air standards.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Association says operators have cut methane and other ozone-related pollution by at least 50%, through regulation and new technologies.

The report's researchers have called for immediate action to cut methane pollution to slow an accelerating climate crisis. Kemp believes state regulators can do more to limit methane emissions, which are more than 80 times more powerful at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2.

"So, in addition to this ozone formation, it is contributing to the acceleration of extreme heat, increased vector-borne illnesses, decreasing water supply, water quality, and the list goes on," she continued.

The U.S. is the leading producer of crude oil, which ramped up with new fracking technologies. The rise in fracking also tracks with the rise in global methane emissions. Kemp said while cutting emissions is critical for a future livable climate, more attention needs to be paid to communities that have long lived in the shadows of refineries and other polluters.

"It is in our state statute to minimize adverse impacts from oil and gas for disproportionately impacted communities. And we see time and time again that our regulatory agencies are not stepping up and meeting the mandate," Kemp explained.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
In 2023, the Biden administration ordered a Bakersfield oil company to remove old oil rigs from Carrizo Plain National Monument in Central California. (Bob Wick/BLM)

Environment

play sound

Groups that fight to protect public lands are criticizing the Trump administration's new review of all oil, gas and mining on public lands. National …


Environment

play sound

This weekend, Virginians will participate with other birders around the world in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Thousands of birding enthusiasts …

Environment

play sound

This weekend, birders across the world, including in Maryland, will participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Thousands of birding enthusiasts …


A new study looking at drought impacts on grasslands found that such lands in China saw a 43% reduction in annual productivity, compared with just a 25% reduction in North America under the same conditions. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Grasslands are considered a vital component of South Dakota's landscape. But on the heels of new research, an expert suggests they might not fare as …

Social Issues

play sound

Minnesota is little less than a year away from launching its paid-leave law, but state lawmakers are debating whether to delay the start until 2027…

In its next contract, the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Program faculty union is looking for "reasonable" class sizes and for teachers to easily access remote learning tools when needed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A New York City music school's faculty is back in the classroom after a weeklong strike. The Manhattan School of Music's Precollege Program faculty …

Social Issues

play sound

A New York bill would require schools to teach about the Jan. 6 insurrection. The bill calls for all K-12 students to be taught about the event…

Health and Wellness

play sound

An Atlanta-based group is making sure more people have access to an unconventional but effective treatment for their moderate mental health challenges…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021