One US Oil Field a Key Culprit In Global Ethane Gas Increase

An anonymous reader writes: According to scientists, a single U.S. shale oil field is responsible for much of the past decade's increase in global atmospheric levels of ethane, a gas that can damage air quality and impact climate. The Bakken Formation, an oil and gas field in North Dakota and Montana is spewing nearly 2% of the globe's ethane. That translates to about 250,000 tons each year. "Two percent might not sound like a lot, but the emissions we observed in this single region are 10 to 100 times larger than reported in inventories. They directly impact air quality across North America. And they're sufficient to explain much of the global shift in ethane concentrations," said Eric Kort, U-M assistant professor of climate and space sciences and engineering.The Washington Post has more details (paywalled; alternatively you can read this Gizmodo report)

Comments

Global Warming season

[Anonymous Coward]

Happens every year between March until August.

Re:Global Warming season

[Anonymous Coward]

Only in the northern hemisphere. From March until August the southern hemisphere experiences something nobody is talking about called global cooling.

Re:Jealousy...

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean like the Holy Hockeystick?

ALL PRAISE the DIVINE CONSENSUS

It's a fair cop

[Bruce66423]

Thanks for the slap!