landfill
Top Story
Credit: Katie Rodriguez/Unsplash
More than 1,200 major methane leaks from landfills pose severe climate threat
Satellite data reveals more than 1,200 significant methane emissions from landfill sites globally since 2019, with south Asia, Argentina, and Spain as major contributors.
In short:
- Landfills are a significant source of methane emissions, with more than 1,200 large leaks detected worldwide, particularly in densely populated regions.
- Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, exacerbates global heating and poses a threat to climate targets.
- Effective waste management and methane capture strategies are crucial to mitigate these emissions and reduce their impact on climate change.
Key quote:
"Cutting methane is the only solution to meet the global 1.5C temperature target. If we really focus on reducing methane emissions from the waste sector, it is a gamechanger."
— Carlos Silva Filho, president of the International Solid Waste Association
Why this matters:
The high volume of methane leaks from waste dumps highlights a critical yet often overlooked aspect of climate change. Addressing these emissions is essential for meeting global climate goals and preventing further environmental degradation. This issue underscores the need for improved waste management practices and policies worldwide.
Oil and gas methane emissions in the U.S. are at least 15% higher than we thought.
Keep reading...Show less
Big Stock Photo
Florida's shift to waste-to-energy amidst growing trash crisis
With mounting garbage and shrinking landfill space, Florida turns to waste-to-energy incineration amid a population surge.
Jacob Knutson reports for Axios.
In short:
- Florida will increase waste combustion to manage its growing trash problem.
- Modern waste-to-energy plants aim to minimize pollution and generate renewable power, but concerns remain.
- The state's approach reflects broader debates about the impacts of waste-to-energy facilities, particularly on environmental justice communities.
Key quote:
"Unlike past incinerator plants, modern facilities have air pollution control equipment that, when operated correctly, can keep the emissions of several different air pollutants below limits set by the Clean Air Act and reduce any potential adverse health effects."
Why this matters:
Florida's move to burn more trash for energy raises critical questions about balancing environmental health and effective waste disposal, especially in the context of growing urban populations and limited land resources.
What kinds of pollutants are released by waste incineration? Forever chemicals, for one: As states work to limit the use of PFAS, one overlooked path for their spread is the incineration of consumer waste, such as clothing, textiles, food packaging, paints and electronics.
Question for the reader:
What role do you think waste-to-energy facilities should play in waste management?
AI-based tools helped produce this text, with human oversight and editing.
Photo by Patricia Valério on Unsplash
US cities say they turn food waste into compost. Is it a problem when they don’t?
The scraps in your bin marked ‘compost’ may end up as methane. Here’s what that means.
Newsletter
Photo by Katie Rodriguez on Unsplash
Environment groups ask Biden to crack down on methane emissions from landfills
Methane is a planet-warming gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period and makes up nearly 12 percent of the country’s contribution to climate change. Landfills are the third largest source of methane in the U.S.
Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash
Fast fashion goes to die in the world's largest fog desert. The scale is breathtaking
Some of the developed world's favorite brands lie in discarded heaps in Chile's Atacama desert. How they got there tells the story of modern fast fashion.
Alabama landfill fire has burned for months, forcing state of emergency
An ongoing fire at a privately owned landfill in St. Clair County, Ala., has inundated residents with smoke since at least Nov. 25.
Newsletter
Garbage dumps across the US could be turned into solar farms
Toxic landfills are emblems of environmental injustice across the US. Clean energy can remake them.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
