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Obama Planning New Rules For Oil and Gas Industry's Methane Emissions

mdsolar sends this quote from the NY Times: In President Obama's latest move using executive authority to tackle climate change, administration officials will announce plans this week to impose new regulations on the oil and gas industry's emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, according to a person familiar with Mr. Obama's plans. The administration's goal is to cut methane emissions from oil and gas production by up to 45 percent by 2025 from the levels recorded in 2012.

The Environmental Protection Agency will issue the proposed regulations this summer, and final regulations by 2016, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the administration had asked the person not to speak about the plan. The White House declined to comment on the effort. Methane, which leaks from oil and gas wells, accounts for just 9 percent of the nation's greenhouse gas pollution — but it is over 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide, so even small amounts of it can have a big impact on global warming.

2 of 202 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Emperor Obama by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Gas taxes are per gallon, not per dollar. They make more in taxes when gas prices drop and people worry less about saving gas.

  2. Re:This makes sense nomatter your politik by dywolf · · Score: 5, Informative

    Except humans don't emit a lot of water vapor.

    They do however emit a lot of CO2 and Methane, which as part of the feedbook loop in global warming causes more water vapor in the air, further exacerbating the heating effects of all greenhouse gases, H2O included.

    The water vapor argument is a deflection, and a poor one at that.
    http://www.skepticalscience.co...

    --
    The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.