I was reading an article the other day about organizations that are putting satellites into orbit with sensors that can locate large sources of methane leaking into the atmosphere. The organizations hope to use this research to identify large sources of methane pollution that can be eliminated. This is important because methane is a very powerful greenhouse gas (about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide) that contributes significantly to global warming and climate change. One type of large methane source is leakage from ordinary municipal landfills – the places we send our garbage. Methane is created inside of a landfill when organic matter decomposes in an oxygen-free environment. Organic matter is anything that used to be alive – food, paper, cardboard, wood, lawn clippings, and cotton and linen fabric. Some large, new landfills have methane collection systems that move the methane to a power-producing plant, but most landfills still vent the methane to the atmosphere. If we reduce the amount of organic matter going to the landfill, we can reduce the amount of methane produced by the landfill. Here are a few alternatives to sending organic matter to the landfill:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
May 2024
|