Current:Home > MyScientists say landfills release more planet-warming methane than previously thought -Streamline Finance
Scientists say landfills release more planet-warming methane than previously thought
View
Date:2025-04-17 07:25:45
BENGALURU, India — Landfills are releasing far more planet-warming methane into the atmosphere from the decomposition of waste than previously thought, a study suggests.
Scientists used satellite data from four major cities worldwide — Delhi and Mumbai in India, Lahore in Pakistan and Buenos Aires in Argentina — and found that emissions from landfills in 2018 and 2019 were 1.4 to 2.6 times higher than earlier estimates.
The study, published in Science Advances on Wednesday, is aimed at helping local governments carry out targeted efforts to limit global warming by pinpointing specific sites of major concern.
When organic waste like food, wood or paper decomposes, it emits methane into the air. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions globally, after oil and gas systems and agriculture.
Although methane only accounts for about 11% of greenhouse gas emissions and lasts about a dozen years in the air, it traps 80 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide does. Scientists estimate that at least 25% of today's warming is driven by methane from human actions.
"This is the first time that high-resolution satellite images have been used to observe landfills and calculate their methane emissions," said Joannes Maasakkers, lead author of the study and atmospheric scientist at the Netherlands Institute for Space Research.
"We found that these landfills, which are relatively small compared to city sizes, are responsible for a large fraction of total emissions from a given area," he said.
Satellite data to detect emissions is still a relatively new field, but it's being used more and more to observe gases across the world. It means more independent organizations are tracking greenhouse gases and identifying big emitters, whereas previously local government figures were the only source available.
"This new work shows just how important it is to manage landfills better, especially in countries like India where landfills are often on fire, emitting a wide range of damaging pollutants," said Euan Nesbit, an Earth scientist at Royal Holloway, University of London, who wasn't part of the study.
Earlier this year, smoke hung over New Delhi for days after a massive landfill caught fire as the country was sweltering in an extreme heat wave with temperatures surpassing 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). At least two other landfill fires have been reported in India this year.
Nesbit added that the newer satellite technology, combined with on-the-ground measurements, makes it easier for researchers to identify "who is polluting the world."
China, India and Russia are the world's biggest methane polluters, a recent analysis by the International Energy Agency found.
At last year's United Nations climate conference, 104 countries signed a pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 compared with 2020 levels. Both India and China are not signatories.
The authors plan to carry out more research into landfill sites across the world in future studies.
"It is a quickly developing field and we expect more interesting data to come out soon," said Maasakkers.
veryGood! (761)
Related
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Sheriff: 2 Florida deputies seriously injured after they were intentionally struck by a car
- Michigan responds to Big Ten notice amid football sign-stealing scandal, per report
- After Ohio vote, advocates in a dozen states are trying to put abortion on 2024 ballots
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- FBI searching for Jan. 6 suspect Gregory Yetman in Middlesex County, New Jersey
- Not vaccinated for COVID or flu yet? Now's the time ahead of Thanksgiving, CDC director says.
- Israel agrees to 4-hour daily pauses in Gaza fighting to allow civilians to flee, White House says
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Megan Fox Shares How Fiancé Machine Gun Kelly Helped Her “Heal” Through New Book
Ranking
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Election offices are sent envelopes with fentanyl or other substances. Authorities are investigating
- Science Says Teens Need More Sleep. So Why Is It So Hard to Start School Later?
- North Carolina woman and her dad get additional jail time in the beating death of her Irish husband
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Actors strike ends, but what's next? Here's when you can expect your shows and movies back
- Jelly Roll talks hip-hop's influence on country, 25-year struggle before CMA Award win
- What is Diwali, the Festival of Lights, and how is it celebrated in India and the diaspora?
Recommendation
The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
Jury rejects insanity defense for man convicted of wedding shooting
‘Greed and corruption': Federal jury convicts veteran DEA agents in bribery conspiracy
Officials in Russia-annexed Crimea say private clinics have stopped providing abortions
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Zac Efron Shares Insight Into His Shocking Transformation in The Iron Claw
Officials in Russia-annexed Crimea say private clinics have stopped providing abortions
US diplomat assures Kosovo that new draft of association of Serb municipalities offers no autonomy