Megan Hall: Welcome to Possibly, where we take on huge problems like the future of our planet, and break them down into small questions with unexpected answers. I’m Megan Hall.
We know methane is a really potent greenhouse gas, and in other episodes, we’ve talked about what the federal government is doing to crack down on industrial methane leaks. Today we’re bringing it closer to home.
We have Juliana Merullo and Harrison Katz here to talk to us about leaks in our neighborhoods.
Juliana Merullo: Hiya Megan!
Harrison Katz: Hello!
Megan Hall: So there could be methane leaks on my street? Where are they coming from?
Juliana Merullo: First, it’s good to remember that natural gas is just another name for methane. So, if you use gas to heat your home or fuel your stove, you use methane!
Harrison Katz: To get from the facility to your furnace, it goes through a huge network of pipes that run all under our streets. Here in Providence, a lot of those pipes are now old and corroded.
Juliana Merullo: Almost half were put in over fifty years ago! This means they’re more prone to both big and small leaks.
Megan Hall: Woah. That sounds dangerous.
Harrison Katz: It can be! Big leaks are first and foremost a safety issue, because they can cause explosions. But because methane is such a potent greenhouse gas, small leaks are still a big problem in terms of global warming.
Juliana Merullo: Plus- when methane leaks, those leaks often include other pollutants that can affect air quality and cause health effects like asthma.
Megan Hall: Why aren’t these leaks getting fixed?
Harrison Katz: Some of them are! But they can go unnoticed, and often the smaller leaks are not a high priority.
Megan Hall: So if you can’t see methane, how do we even find those small leaks?
Juliana Merullo: First, if you smell gas outside, you need to call the utility emergency line so they can come check it out.
Harrison Katz: But for leaks that are harder to find, there are also groups that will go around detecting them and notifying gas companies.
Juliana Merullo: There’s actually one in Providence, called Gasbusters. They go out into neighborhoods and test different places with a probe.
Megan Hall: What kind of probe?
Harrison Katz: To find out, we talked to Martina Muller, a scientist at the University of Rhode Island who helped lead groups for Gasbusters. She says:
Martina Muller:: And so it’s just basically inhaling the gas and measuring the parts per million of natural gas.
Juliana Merullo: Parts per million is a measure of how much methane there is in the air.
Megan Hall: How do they know where to test?
Juliana Merullo: Well, last fall we got to go out with some students that have helped carry on the project to see how it works.
Harrison Katz: They basically walked around a neighborhood in neon vests sticking a foot long hollow tube into manhole covers, vents, or even dirt!
Megan Hall: Did they find anything?
Juliana Merullo: That day they didn’t find any leaks, but they’re out there. And because we have so many old pipes in Providence, there are always new ones springing up.
Megan Hall: Yikes! It feels like whack-a-mole! You patch up one leak just to find another one somewhere else.
Juliana Merullo: Totally. Which is why Martina says the goal should be triage and transition.
Harrison Katz: Triage means identifying and fixing leaks to help keep us safe and reduce emissions. But sooner rather than later we need to transition away from natural gas if we are going to meet the state’s climate goals.
Juliana Merullo: Even though natural gas is a cleaner alternative to coal or oil, all methane leaks in our communities can carry big risks, both to us and the climate. Martina says,
Martina Muller: by showing people leaks in their backyards, next to schools, or where their kids go, you know, it’s close to home. And it’s a safety issue. It’s a health issue. It’s a climate issue.
Megan Hall: Ok, so how can listeners help?
Harrison Katz: Well, the first way is to see if there are any groups like Gasbusters already out looking for leaks where they live, and sign up!
Juliana Merullo: Even more importantly, the next time you replace your stove or furnace, go electric. The time for gas combustion in houses is coming to an end.
Megan Hall: Good to know! Thanks Juliana and Harrison.
That’s it for today. For more information, or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, go to the public’s radio dot org slash possibly. Or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
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Possibly is a co-production of The Public’s Radio, Brown University’s Institute for Environment and Society and Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative.
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