Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 4 March 2020
Exxon outlines its steps to reduce harmful methane emissions

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ quirements."
AP Business Writer Exxon's model framework
NEW YORK (AP) — Exxon included establishing a
Mobil on Tuesday outlined leak detection and repair
how it is reducing the meth- program to identify and fix
ane its operations release gas leaks as soon as pos-
into the atmosphere, de- sible, with inspections for
tailing its efforts as govern- leaks happening at least
ments around the globe once per year. Some ma-
write new rules to regulate jor oil companies are con-
the harmful greenhouse ducting inspections month-
gas. ly, using sensors mounted
The oil and gas giant is on drones, Ratner said.
seeking to influence the "The truth is it needs to be
way those rules are written, much more, and we need
hoping companies and to be driving to a world of
regulators adopt the pro- continuous, real-time moni-
cedures Exxon says helped toring and rapid mitigation
reduce methane emissions of this highly potent green-
by 20% in some of its U.S. house gas," Ratner said.
drilling operations over the "Once-a-year inspection is
past two years. not a serious proposal for
"Our industry has devel- In this Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, file photo, a flame burns at the Shell Deer Park oil refinery in Deer regulatory requirements
oped high-tech advances Park, Texas. that are up to the magni-
to curb emissions, and we Associated Press tude of the challenge."
also hope this framework Exxon, which is based in Ir-
will be helpful for govern- "The steps Exxon Mobil has oil, they generally also get Major oil companies are ving, Texas, said its frame-
ments as they develop taken and the commit- natural gas, whether they also under pressure from work is a starting point for
new regulations," said Dar- ments the company an- want it or not. Methane is investors to prove they will discussions for policy mak-
ren Woods, chairman and nounced are nowhere released in the atmosphere be able to adapt to future ers, and that governments
CEO of Exxon, in a state- near sufficient to get us during extraction and distri- regulations that aim to cur- or private companies could
ment accompanying a there," said Kathy Mulvey, bution of natural gas, and tail global warming. choose to go above and
document outlining Exxon's accountability campaign while many scientists agree "With the climate crisis upon beyond what's presented
procedures for reducing director at the Union of this is a major problem, us, companies can't afford in the model.
methane emissions. Concerned Scientists. "We there is little data to show to ignore their contributions The company also suggest-
Some environmental advo- need to see much more exactly how much is leak- to climate change," said ed that if an oil and gas
cates see Exxon's move as ambitious and urgent ac- ing into the atmosphere. Ben Ratner, senior direc- operator had to vent natu-
a rebuke of President Don- tions taken by companies Last year, Exxon and other tor at the Environmental ral gas, it would be better
ald Trump's Environmental like Exxon Mobil." oil giants pushed back the Defense Fund. "In at least to burn it off, or "flare" it,
Protection Agency, which Methane has 86 times the EPA's proposal to relax reg- one or two parts of (Exx- instead of releasing meth-
in August proposed relax- global warming potential ulations on methane emis- on's methane) framework, ane directly into the at-
ing regulations on methane of carbon dioxide over a sions. At the time, many what they are recom- mosphere. It suggested
emissions. But they also said 20-year period, according had already invested in mending appeared to fall improving the combustion
Exxon needs to be much to the Union of Concerned equipment and upgrades considerably short of what efficiency of flares so that
more aggressive in its ef- Scientists. It is the main com- to satisfy emissions regula- would be considered the methane isn't accidentally
forts to curtail global warm- ponent of natural gas, and tions enacted under former best available operational released as a result of in-
ing. when companies drill for President Barack Obama. practice and regulatory re- complete combustion. q

`Sustainable gardening’ includes many

eco-friendly practices

By DEAN FOSDICK among other concerns. too,” Tancig said. ``They’re
``Sustainable” is one of ``More and more people restorative to the environ-
This July 25, 2016 photo of blueberries growing in a container on gardening’s trendiest buzz- are supporting sustainabil- ment.”
a property near Langley, Wash., illustrates that gardeners oper- words, yet it carries a range ity, where the social, envi- Sustainable isn’t necessarily
ate on a much smaller scale than farmers yet can make some of definitions. Just what ronmental and economic the same as organic, noted
major sustainability impacts by growing their own food and does it mean in practical factors balance,” said Erica Chernoh, an Oregon
planting things that don't need as much fertilizer or pesticides, terms, and how important Mark Tancig, a horticulture State University Extension
minimizing risks to the environment. is it to the average garden- agent with University of horticulturist.
er? Florida Food and Agricul- ```Organic’ has become
Very important, according tural Sciences Extension. legally recognized,” Cher-
to a recent plant trends ``That means planting noh said. ``Sustainability
study by horticulturalists things that don’t require as is more of an open book,
with the University of Florida much water or fertilizer. Us- combining ecological, so-
Institute of Food and Agri- ing plants that resist disease ciological and economic
cultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). and insects. Choosing na- factors.”``They can do that
It found strong interest in tive plants in mixtures that by not over-fertilizing, by
native plants, ``re-wilding” attract wildlife. eliminating any spraying
gardens, growing edibles, ``That not only saves you that isn’t necessary,” she
and going easy on wildlife, money, but they look good, said. q