February E-News
 

2023 Doomsday Clock Statement: 90 Seconds to Midnight

"This year, the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moves the hands of the Doomsday Clock forward, largely (though not exclusively) because of the mounting dangers of the war in Ukraine. The Clock now stands at 90 seconds to midnight—the closest to global catastrophe it has ever been."

Members of PSR Maine have joined with other Mainers who belong to various medical, peace, and religious groups to form Mainers for Ending Nuclear Danger (MEND). This collaboration made it possible to have three Op-Eds offering some solutions to the risks that have the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight.

Maine Voices: Is the Doomsday Clock About to Move Closer to Midnight

Doug Rawlings: The Doomsday Clock is Still Ticking

We must keep Doomsday Clock from Striking Midnight

 
 

Join us for an Environmental Committee Meeting Feb. 9th

Interested in attending our next Environmental Committee Meeting? Join us February 9th at 5pm ET to see what we are up to! Please email Marj Plumb at director@psrmaine.org for zoom link information. Your interests could range from climate change to toxins, to healthy hospitals and more. We hope to (virtually) see you there!
 

TAKE ACTION

Tell regulators that protecting us from Methane Leaks from oil and gas wells is a personal priority. The EPA public comment period is open now and ends on Monday, February 13.  Not only is the burning of oil and gas for fuel a driver of climate change, but the wasteful and unnecessary emission of methane from wells providing fuels is also major contributor. As a current EPA press release states:


“Oil and natural gas operations are the nation’s largest industrial source of methane. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that traps about 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide, on average, over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere and is responsible for approximately one third of the warming from greenhouse gases occurring today. Sharp cuts in methane emissions are among the most critical actions the U.S. can take in the short term to slow the rate of climate change. Oil and natural gas operations are also significant sources of other health-harming air pollutants, including smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and toxic air pollutants such as benzene.”

 

The EPA is proposing that most well sites get monitored for leaks with new cost-efficient
technologies, and that the methane is mostly recaptured to be used for fuel. While there will be startup costs, the overall economic impact will be hugely positive: “EPA estimates that the supplemental proposal will yield total net climate benefits valued at $34 to $36 billion from 2023 to 2035 (the equivalent of about $3.1 to $3.2 billion per year), after taking into account the costs of compliance and savings from recovered natural gas.”


PSR National wants to get the EPA to improve their proposal to include 1) more restrictions on “flaring” – wasteful burning of released methane at well sites; 2) preventing leakage at storage tanks; 3) Immediate attention to the “super emitters” -- a small number of sites that contribute to about half the overall greenhouse releases.

 

Here are some suggestions for asking the EPA to strengthen the rule. Put your
message in your own words:

  • Limit flaring of gas  to only those instances in which it is necessary for safety or
    maintenance reasons.
    Strengthen the standards to address emissions from storage tanks. 
  • Provide a clear pathway for participation in the Super Emitter Response
    Program.

Submit your comment here.
Note: Any personal information you submit may be publicly visible on the EPA docket.
 

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PSR Maine, 126 Western Ave #1012 Augusta ME 04330