There are millions of orphaned gas and oil wells leaking methane in the U.S. and around the globe

There are millions of orphaned gas and oil wells leaking methane in the U.S. and around the globe millions more — plugging them will cost billions

The earliest known oil wells were drilled in China in AD 347 or earlier. They had depths of up to about 800 feet (240 m) and were drilled using bits attached to bamboo poles. The oil was burned to evaporate brine and produce salt. By the 10th century, extensive bamboo pipelines connected oil wells with salt springs. https://www.offshore-technology.com/comment/history-oil-gas/ 2021: Biden’s budget proposal calls for more than $36 billion to fight climate change. https://www.cnbc.com/.../bidens-budget-proposal-calls-for... Senate approves Inflation Reduction Act https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../senate-inflation.../ The World's Worst Oil Related Disaster You've Never Heard Of The first U.S. oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania more than 150 years ago. Millions more followed, dotting the country from Southern California to Texas, Oklahoma and Appalachia. But those wells don’t last forever. In fact, a well only produces a significant quantity of natural gas for between 20 to 40 years. After that, the company that owns the well is supposed to plug it with cement to prevent it from releasing methane into the air and leaking contaminants into the groundwater or at the surface. But it’s an expensive process, costing thousands of dollars for onshore wells and millions for offshore wells. This Retired Oil Exec Wants to Plug Up Millions of Abandoned Wells Across the US In Toole County, Montana oil is one of the biggest games in town. But these workers aren't drilling for oil — they are plugging up wells. https://youtu.be/iAf2k9b0drY Texas Oil Country Has An Invisible Secret In West Texas, vast quantities of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, are leaking into the atmosphere. Specialized cameras that can detect the invisible pollutant are helping to expose the problem. https://youtu.be/62rkNvfuTlg US SET TO FINE OIL AND GAS COMPANIES FOR METHANE LEAKS https://www.climatechangenews.com/ Fracking releases large amounts of methane, a dangerously potent greenhouse gas. Fracked shale gas wells, for example, may have methane leakage rates as high as 7.9 percent, which would make such natural gas worse for the climate than coal. But fracking also threatens our climate in another way. Fracking wells in the US are leaking loads of planet-warming methane https://www.newscientist.com/.../2241347-fracking-wells.../ Fracking boom tied to methane spike in Earth’s atmosphere The chemical signature of methane released from fracking is found in the atmosphere, pointing to shale gas operations as the culprit. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/.../fracking-boom-tied... https://cen.acs.org/.../Chemical-clues-found.../96/i47 How secretive methane leaks are driving climate change https://www.unep.org/.../how-secretive-methane-leaks-are... How Dying Gas Wells Are Making One Company Rich. Bloomberg travels to America's Appalachian mountains to investigate reports that old natural gas wells across the region are leaking greenhouse gases at an alarming rate. https://youtu.be/6c-WCg2Y7sE Seen From Space: Huge Methane Leaks A European satellite reveals sites in the United States, Russia, Central Asia and elsewhere that are “ultra emitters” of methane. That could help fight climate change. https://www.nytimes.com/.../methane-leaks-satellites.html A satellite finds massive methane leaks from gas pipelines https://www.npr.org/.../a-satellite-finds-massive-methane... Major studies reveal 60% more methane emissions Extensive research led by EDF from 2012 to 2018 shows methane leaks in the U.S. are a far greater threat than the government’s estimate suggests. https://www.edf.org/climate/methane-studies https://www.bloomberg.com/.../2022-methane-leaks-natural.../ https://apnews.com/.../science-texas-trending-news... Abandoned oil and natural gas wells pollute the environment across Louisiana Tens of thousands of abandoned oil and natural gas wells sit idle across the United States. Known as orphan wells, they pose significant dangers to nearby residents and the environment after being ignored or forgotten by the companies who drilled them. States and taxpayers are often left to clean them up. Roby Chavez, who has been reporting on this from Louisiana, joins Stephanie Sy to discuss. https://youtu.be/YJ1JwYWNhqQ Special Report: Millions of abandoned oil wells are leaking methane, a climate menace https://www.reuters.com/.../us-usa-drilling-abandoned... https://www.nrdc.org/.../millions-leaky-and-abandoned-oil... https://www.sciencedaily.com/rel.../2021/04/210428132941.htm https://www.cnbc.com/.../plugging-methane-leaking-oil-gas... https://www.bloomberg.com/.../methane-leaks-from-small... https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../oil-gas-methane-house.../ Your Natural Gas Stove Is Fueling Climate Change And Harming Your Health—And It’s Worse Than Scientists Thought. https://www.forbes.com/.../your-natural-gas-stove-is.../... Climate and health impacts of natural gas stoves. Natural gas stoves release methane – a potent greenhouse gas – and other pollutants through leaks and incomplete combustion. Stanford researchers estimate that methane leaking from stoves inside U.S. homes has the same climate impact as about 500,000 gasoline-powered cars and the stoves can expose people to respiratory disease-triggering pollutants. https://earth.stanford.edu/.../climate-and-health-impacts... Methane and NOx Emissions from Natural Gas Stoves, Cooktops, and Ovens in Residential Homes. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c04707 https://qz.com/.../experts-are-sounding-the-alarm-about.../ GAS STOVES MIGHT POSE RISKS TO BOTH OUR PLANET AND HEALTH. Johns Hopkins climate and pulmonary medicine experts weigh in on recent study of the toxic emissions from the common household appliance. https://hub.jhu.edu/.../22/gas-stoves-environment-warning/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/gas-biomass/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/.../natural-gas-used-in-homes/ https://www.npr.org/.../gas-stove-emissions-climate... https://www.smithsonianmag.com/.../gas-stoves-are-worse.../ https://www.vox.com/.../gas-stove-cooking-indoor-air... https://www.cbc.ca/.../gas-stoves-air-pollution-1.6394514 =============================== Building trust through effective science communication. Barbara shares ideas on effective science communication. She explains why we should be interested, based on her own observations of emerging movements such as Flat Earthers and climate change deniers in the US and Brazil. How can we build trust in science? I would like to make an invitation to all my fellow scientists. Let’s make our research accessible! Use social media, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, create games, podcasts, music, choreography, videoclips, whatever. Find your talent! Share, inspire and engage your friends to do the same! Here are some online free resources for effective science communication: https://blogs.egu.eu/.../building-trust-through.../ https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../alan-alda-would-like.../ https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/gardenecol.../2019/05/29/alda/ Actor Alan Alda referred to flat earth when he was expressing his views that one can be polite and listen to what one is saying and try to understand why they think the way they do. (Of course the Flatties responded by accusing Alan Alda of being a paid conspirator.) https://youtu.be/l7EJFqW3ctM When does an intellectual failing become a moral one? https://www.civic-renaissance.com/.../when-does-an... https://youtu.be/ww47bR86wSc =================== Florida boy fights for his life after contracting rare brain-eating amoeba A 13-year-old boy who’s spent 54 days in the hospital battling a brain-eating amoeba is being flown to Chicago for special treatment. https://youtu.be/yzNHIvPNh1I ============ People enjoying Iowa’s lakes have a new concern: brain-eating amoeba. It sounds like a tale from a science-fiction movie, but these amoeba are real and they’re migrating thanks to warmer temperatures. In the past, these brain-eating amoeba stuck to southern American states, known for their balmy summers. But as temperatures rise, these amoeba have more places they can call home. But should brain-eating amoebae interrupt your summer plans? Probably not. Since 1962, there have only been 154 known infections nationwide. Naegleria fowleri is an ameba (single-celled living organism) that lives in soil and warm fresh water, such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs. It is commonly called the “brain-eating ameba” because it can cause a brain infection when water containing the ameba goes up the nose. https://youtu.be/bVcZO31Or-A Naegleria (nay-GLEER-e-uh) infection is a rare and almost always fatal brain infection. Naegleria infection is caused by an amoeba commonly found in warm, freshwater lakes, rivers and hot springs. Exposure to the amoeba usually occurs during swimming or other water sports. **The amoeba — called Naegleria fowleri **— travels up the nose to the brain, where it causes severe brain damage. Most people who have naegleria infection die within a week of showing symptoms. Millions of people are exposed to the amoeba that causes naegleria infection each year, but only a handful of them ever get sick from it. Health officials don't know why some people develop naegleria infection while others don't. https://www.mayoclinic.org/.../symptoms-causes/syc-20375470 Swimmer infected with brain-eating amoeba after visiting an Iowa beach has died, officials say https://www.cnn.com/.../lake-of-three-fires.../index.html https://www.webmd.com/brain/brain-eating-amoeba https://www.npr.org/.../1110819300/brain-eating-amoeba-iowa https://youtu.be/7OPg-ksxZ4Y Brain-eating Amoebae Infection: Challenges and Opportunities in Chemotherapy Pathogenic free-living amoeba are known to cause a devastating infection of the central nervous system and are often referred to as "brain-eating amoebae". The mortality rate of more than 90% and free-living nature of these amoebae is a cause for concern. It is distressing that the mortality rate has remained the same over the past few decades, highlighting the lack of interest by the pharmaceutical industry. With the threat of global warming and increased outdoor activities of public, there is a need for renewed interest in identifying potential anti-amoebic compounds for successful prognosis. Here, we discuss the available chemotherapeutic options and opportunities for potential strategies in the treatment and diagnosis of these life-threatening infections. **Keywords: **Acanthamoeba; Balamuthia; Brain-eating amoebae; Naegleria; drugs; in vitro; survival.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30868950/