Natural Gas Leaks Plaguing the U.S.

Wouldn’t you want to know if your money was being used to destroy the planet? Well it is, and here’s how… 

By Kaitlyn Maskalenko, Intern Fall 2015 Endicott College                    

Leaking natural gas isn’t some far off problem, affecting someone other than you. It’s not a problem that we can afford to put off until tomorrow. Every second, there is methane seeping from broken pipes into the atmosphere, trapping in heat and warming our planet’s climate. This is the message that the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) wants every single person to know and understand. As a non-profit organization based in Cambridge, HEET has recently joined efforts to map the natural gas leaks plaguing U.S. cities. So far they have located over 20,000 leaks across Massachusetts alone. They have published maps, like the one below, that pinpoint the exact locations of these leaks.

Credit: HEET

Unburned methane is an extremely powerful greenhouse gas. It is said to trap 86 times more heat than CO2 over 20 years, and is 34 times more potent than CO2 over 100 years. Unless leaks pose a safety hazard, the city isn’t required to fix them. But the problem is that they ultimately are a safety hazard, even if not an immediate one. The damage done by these leaks will be apparent one day, and by then it will irrevocable.

Not only is this an issue for the environment, but it’s also a problem for the pockets of Americans. In Massachusetts, it is within the law for natural gas companies to pass along the cost of lost gas to their customers. A study in 2013 showed that leaks cost natural gas customers between $640 million and $1.5 billion from 2000 to 2011 for gas that never even reached their homes. The oldest leak in the state, located near Fenway Park, has been leaking natural gas into our atmosphere since it was first recorded in 1985. On top of that, the methane leaked annually is the greenhouse gas equivalent to the CO2 emitted by 6 million cars.

Credit: http://earthtechling.com/tag/greenhouse-gases/

Not only is this leaking gas costing our planet, it’s costing our wallets. HEET wants to publicize the leaks so that utility companies will be pressured to fix them. And they aren’t the only company with this goal in mind. Last year the Environmental Defense Fund teamed up with Google Earth to map leaks in cities across the country. This will make it possible to fix the biggest leaks first, which is the quickest and most effective way to remedy the problem. HEET’s ultimate goal is to convert to energy sources with 0% carbon emission. This will no doubt take some serious effort, but getting these leaks under control is just the first step in that direction. Click here to see what you can do to help. 

What is the price of Climate Change? The Damage is immeasurable!

Cal Fire firefighters douse flames from a back-burn while fighting the Rocky Fire off Highway 20 near Clear Lake, California, on Aug. 2. (Photo: Josh Edelson)

Millions are being spent to fight forest fires that could easily be prevented if the changes in the climate were taken as seriously as they clearly are. What may be done? We must start now with the changes!

According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, fighting wildfires will take up two-thirds of Forest Service funding by 2025, or nearly $1.8 billion, as summer temperatures continue to rise owing to greenhouse gas emissions.

“Climate change and other factors are causing the cost of fighting fires to rise every year,” Vilsack said in a statement timed to the release of a new report on the Forest Service’s wildfire spending. “But the way we fund our Forest Service hasn’t changed in generations.”

For more on this: Read 

Alaska's on Fire: Climate Change Milestone

Humankind may have reached a potential climate change milestone. Excessive wildfires have spread across over Alaska (600 fires) and Canada (4,000 fires) extending around 3 million acres. This year has been exceptionally hot and dry, but has not surpassed the scorching temperatures or number of fires in 2004.

The real problem is what lies beneath the surface, permafrost. Permafrost is ground that remains frozen year after year and consists of soil, rocks, and frozen water. It forms when the depth of the winters freezing exceeds the depth of summer thaw. It covers about 85% of Alaska and extends up to 2,000 feet below the ground. Most permafrost ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 years old reaching back to the last ice age. Permafrost is also one of the Earths greatest accumulations of carbon and methane. All the permafrost in the world holds about 1.4 trillion tons of carbon and methane, which is twice the amount in the atmosphere. If the permafrost melts and the carbon and methane are released, it could speed up climate change.

Above the permafrost there is a layer called “duff’, which is a layer of moss, twigs, and organic matter that is used as insulation for the permafrost and can be up to a foot thick. When this layer is burned off from fires “It is like ripping the insulation out of a refrigerator” according to Sarah Zhang. A forest alone can take up to a decade to recover 4 inches of lost duff from fires.

Forest fires are getting worse and the Alaskan fire season has extended 40% longer than half a century ago. Last year, was Alaska's hottest year ever recorded and is warming twice as fast as other states. The fires are burning the insulation and melting the permafrost. 

Alaskans are already becoming worried because if the permafrost melts;  vegetation, habitats for animals, and infrastructure of buildings, roads, and sewer systems will all start to fail and sink into the ground. The permafrost is supposed to be permanent, but if vegetation is removed from thawing, the insulation will be lost and the ground will become water logged, soft, and then collapse. 

There is hope that ecological succession will take place and primary producers will grow immediately after the fire and help capture more carbon and methane than released. However, if this does not happen this could mean more extreme weather events and could even turn into a dangerous feedback loop. 

http://www.wired.com/2015/07/alaskas-fire-may-make-climate-change-even-worse/

Once Change is Embraced

I remain resolute about the fight to reverse the rate of carbon emissions.  A calm, grim determination to demonstrate that human activity can co-exist with the balance of human activity and environmental protection.  I advocate a steady commitment toward the evaluation of emerging technologies and non-linear thinking to create sustainable infrastructure and behavior - adapting to evolving conditions dictated by Climate Change.

A dynamic intensity and openness will be necessary to successfully navigate disaster and opportunity.

Social protest against legislation to combat Climate Change and lower carbon emissions is grounded mostly in the human fear of change.  The status quo is a fierce obstacle which we must overcome in order to avoid coastal inundation of major cities such as Miami, New York and Boston.   The disruption caused by rising sea levels and catastrophic impacts from increased intensity of storm-surge and hurricanes (Typhoons in the Southern Hemisphere), will result in the global collapse of economies without exception or preference. 

Once change is embraced, wildly interesting options appear.

Climate Change affects priorities as the amplitude of storms multiplies and weather related drought, unprecedented rainfall and snow, and damaging winds shut down or impair local economies and entire regions of the US.

Forward looking businesses are developing strategies, devising plans, and implementing tactics to mitigate impacts from financial risk to their organization.  

Climate Change not only disrupts operations, but will paralyze entire organizations as we witnessed in New England during the period where we received almost 10 feet of snow in two months. Western portions of the US are facing an unprecedented drought which is crippling food production, power generation from dams, fire protection, and every single business that utilizes this precious resource in manufacturing or processing along with surrounding communities. 

Regional and national corporations are meeting regularly to analyze disaster recovery plans to insure the predictability of resources and supplies necessary to maintain operations. 

We have a set of unique assets in the realm of sustainability with an innovative expertise to deliver solutions in this changing business environment.

Donald E. Bowen, Jr., P.L.S.
Principal 

Truth Box: What is behind The Box Office

Image by Truth Box, Inc. z

The Box Office was built in 2009 during the recession, at the time when there was a greater demand for small office space to accommodate down-sizing and start-ups in business. The property is located in Providence, Road Island on a former lumberyard. The structure is one of the most energy efficient commercial buildings in the region and is recognized worldwide for its innovation; it consists of 12 smaller offices and made out of 37 recycled shipping containers. The building is all electric and uses air to air heat pumps for heating and cooling and the energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system used to circulate the air in each office. The ERV exchanges inside and outside air and preconditions the outside air to assist with heating and cooling. Both technologies are used to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption. 

The developer of Truth Box, Inc. hoped the building would be cheaper to construct than a conventional office building; but it turned out to be equivalent to a typical construction cost. A portion of the building was constructed off site and the project was completed in 2010. During a recent interview with Peter Case, principle of Truth Box, Inc., we learned that there would be development of a sequel Box Office adjacent to the original.

Mr. Case expressed his confidence in the future for sustainable land development because a door has opened on the market for creative and out of the box projects such as the Box Office. Projects like these are the future of sustainable planning and architecture with careful planning around the earth’s resources.

Following is our interview with Peter Case:

Q. How did you decide on the land you would use for this project?

A. We focus mostly on urban infill projects such as old lumber yards, mill buildings, empty industrial lots, and used properties. This allows us to build with more design freedom. The Box Office site was mostly vacant and just needed clearing before construction started.

Q. Where did the idea come from?

A. We wanted to build something that fit in an industrial neighborhood. We thought the recession was an opportunity for an unusual real estate venture in small office spaces. We wanted to start building with shipping containers because we thought it would require less money and use less space. The Box Office is located next to a highway, which also suggested an opportunity to build something unconventional.

Image by Truth Box, Inc. z

Q. What specific aspects of the building make it green? Are there any other natural or recycled materials incorporated within the building?

A. The building is run only on air to air heat pumps and electric energy. The heating and cooling is provided by an air-2-air device that looks like a typical air conditioner. There is no furnace or boiler involved with the heating. The building has walls made of steal and all the joints are welded together, which helps with keeping the building well sealed from the exterior. The windows are designed to be large enough to bring enough daylight in so the lights can be kept off for most of the day. Yet are a small enough and dispersed in a strategic way to decrease energy loss. There is a 10 kWh solar array on the roof that covers about 10 percent of the energy load. The interior finishes include bamboo, cork, and recycled carpet tiles. The paint used throughout the building is no VOC paint. The indoor air quality is excellent.

Q. What new technology is involved in the series of buildings?

A. When the windows are closed, air is being exchanged in and out and circulated throughout the building with ERV at the rate of about four air changes a day. The air filters have to be changed twice a year.

Q. What kind of cost savings have you seen or hope to achieve for this project?

Image by Truth Box, Inc. z

A. Renters are paying about a third of the typical rate of the energy costs then if they were renting from a conventional office building.

Q. How long did the Box Office property take to build and what went into the project?

A. The project took between 9 and 10 months to build. The shipping containers took four days to erect; 20 percent of the construction was off-site, mostly modifying the shipping containers and installing the windows and doors

Q. Is there anything you would change?

A. I would like to do the next project with more work done off-site if possible. During this project there was more time put. Overall I am very pleased with the work.