Methane is a dangerous greenhouse gas. It is 86 times more potent than CO2 over a 20 year span and makes up a quarter of Australia's climate pollution.
Satellite data is now pinpointing methane pollution like never before and we are learning that Queensland coal mines are releasing terrifying amounts of methane into the atmosphere.
Coal mining in the Bowen Basin is polluting enough methane to have the same impact on our climate as a mid-sized European country’s entire yearly emissions, like Italy or Poland.
We need to act now. Queensland’s methane impact could be worse than we think, especially in abandoned mines where pollution is often not reported. Gas wells and pipelines are leaking, venting and flaring a substantial amount of methane too.
Thankfully we have excellent, low-cost solutions that can be deployed right away. We just need our elected representatives to get behind them.
Email your state MP and ask them to get behind solutions, like:
- Contracting satellite tracking to understand the extent and major sources of methane pollution from coal, gas and oil in Queensland
- Setting a target to slash methane this decade. International best practice is a 75% cut by 2030.
- Implemeting tougher industry standards on coal, gas and oil projects so they cut their methane pollution at every stage of planning, operation and closure. A good standrd to introduce is a timeline to rehabilitate old and ageing mines so they do not leak methane pollution post-operation
- Switching to renewables, so we have cleaner energy sources available and can accelerate our movement away from coal, gas and oil that are polluting dangerous greenhouse gases like methane and CO2.
For more solutions and detail, read and/or refer your MP to ACF's report on QLD methane pollution via the following link: https://www.acf.org.au/cut-qld-methane-pollution