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The document highlights the potency of methane as a climate pollutant and the potential for federal regulations to reduce U.S. natural gas production leaks and venting by up to 50% using existing technologies.

The document asserts that 90 entities, including 50 investor-owned companies, are responsible for 63% of industrial CO2 and methane emissions since 1751. It argues that these companies ignored scientific warnings as early as 1988 and actively worked to discredit climate science. The author calls for these producers to stop disinformation, disclose financial risks, support the 2°C warming target, and pay for climate-related damages.

The report finds that AFOLU mitigation potentials for eight major emitters—the United States, Indonesia, China, India, Brazil, the European Union, Mexico, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—could reduce the 2020 emissions gap by approximately three-fourths and the 2030 gap by nearly half. The United States has the highest individual potential at 23 Gt CO2eq, while Indonesia, China, and India also show substantial potentials between 0.75 and 1.75 Gt. These potentials are derived from three primary activities: reducing emissions from deforestation and peatland clearing, decreasing agricultural emissions (such as methane and nitrous oxide), and increasing carbon sequestration through reforestation and ecosystem restoration.

The Clean Air Task Force asserts that the U.S. must regulate domestic methane and black carbon emissions from oil and gas activities to lead the Arctic Council effectively. It calls for the EPA to cut methane emissions by 50% in five years, for the BLM to implement a 'waste' rule prohibiting unnecessary flaring on Federal lands, and for BOEM to overhaul outdated air regulations in the Alaskan Arctic.

The document argues that the world must move beyond incremental change to a systemic low-carbon transformation. It identifies commercially available technologies in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and land-use practices that can be scaled immediately. It emphasizes the need for carbon pricing, the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, and a rapid phase-out of unabated coal to avoid catastrophic climate feedbacks and high future mitigation costs.

The document analyzes natural gas flaring in the Bakken formation of North Dakota, noting that in 2013, 32% of all produced gas was flared. It disputes the claim that slow federal permitting for pipelines is the primary driver of flaring, providing data that 72% of 2013 flaring occurred on private or state-owned land and 57% of statewide flaring came from wells already connected to gathering pipelines. The author argues that flaring is instead caused by insufficient infrastructure capacity, lack of front-end planning, and investment gaps, and opposes HR 4293, which would allow the Secretary of Interior to bypass the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for pipeline and compressor station permits on federal lands.

Natural gas, primarily composed of methane, forms from the thermal breakdown of ancient organic matter under heat and pressure. Its storage depends on rock porosity and permeability, with deposits categorized as conventional or unconventional. In the United States, the Energy Information Administration estimated 2,203 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas in 2009, though global reserves are significantly higher, with Russia holding the largest share.

A joint statement from the Attorneys General of New York, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish formal emission standards and guidelines for methane in the oil and gas sector following the publication of five technical white papers.

Agricultural emissions accounted for approximately 13 percent of total global emissions in 2011, totaling 6 billion tonnes. The primary sources are methane from cattle and nitrous oxide from fertilizers and soil waste, which together comprise 65 percent of the sector's emissions. Global agricultural emissions grew by 8 percent between 1990 and 2010 and are projected to reach nearly 7 billion tonnes per year by 2030, driven largely by population growth and dietary shifts in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Mitigation opportunities include improving crop and grazing management, reducing food loss and waste, and shifting dietary preferences away from meat, particularly beef.

The document outlines the scale and sources of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, identifying the sector as the second largest global emitter. It highlights the role of methane and nitrous oxide, lists the top emitting countries, and discusses the impact of land-use change and dietary shifts. Finally, it presents the GHG Protocol guidelines as a tool for farms to inventory and reduce their carbon footprint through improved production practices and demand-side changes.

The document outlines the environmental and health risks associated with hydraulic fracturing (fracking), specifically highlighting the contamination of drinking water, high greenhouse gas emissions from methane leaks and transport, and the potential for carcinogenic effects on nearby populations. It concludes that natural gas is not a viable transition fuel and calls for a shift toward renewable energy in Canada.

The report examines the potential of South Africa's shale gas reserves, estimated by the US Energy Information Administration as the eighth largest globally. It contrasts a 'Base Case' of no fracking with a 'Shale Boom' and a 'Blue Bridge' scenario. While a shale boom could boost GDP and reduce poverty, it risks significant water contamination in the semi-arid Karoo region and may increase long-term carbon emissions by delaying renewable energy investment. The authors propose a 'Blue Bridge' approach, using an excise tax on fracking to fund renewable energy infrastructure, which they argue could maximize economic growth while ensuring long-term environmental sustainability.

Friends of the Earth South Africa and groundWork argue that the South African government is rushing to lift the fracking moratorium without transparent impact studies or meaningful public consultation. They contend that promises of job creation by corporations like Royal Dutch Shell are misleading and that fracking would exacerbate socio-economic inequalities and environmental degradation. The authors highlight the climate risk, noting that methane is a more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2, and urge the president to protect regions like the Karoo and KwaZulu-Natal by pursuing renewable energy alternatives.

The report argues that the current U.S. agricultural landscape is dominated by corn and soybeans due to federal subsidies, which contradicts national nutritional goals. Using economic modeling, the authors find that aligning production with healthy dietary guidelines would significantly increase fruit and vegetable acreage while reducing cereal grain production. Such a transition would likely improve public health, reduce environmental degradation from monocropping and livestock operations, and create new economic opportunities for farmers, particularly in the Midwest.

The World Resources Institute supports the U.S. EPA's proposed emissions standards for new power plants as a key component of the President's Climate Action Plan. While the standards provide flexibility through carbon capture and storage (CCS) and reflect market shifts toward natural gas and renewables, the document emphasizes that addressing the existing power plant fleet is the most critical opportunity for emissions reductions, as electricity generation accounts for one-third of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Earthjustice and a coalition of environmental and tribal groups are appealing a July 2013 decision by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to lease approximately 13,175 acres for coal in the Canyon Creek area. The appeal argues that the lease is unconstitutional because it grants exploration rights for an indeterminate period, violating the Alaska Constitution's requirement for 'specific periods'. Furthermore, the appellants contend that the DNR ignored the foreseeable impacts of climate change, seismic risks, and severe health hazards to workers and local communities. They also argue that the economic benefits are exaggerated and that the project would cause irreversible damage to salmon habitats and watersheds, citing similar findings from the nearby Chuitna project.

The document analyzes President Obama's 2013 climate strategy, which shifts toward EPA sector-regulation for electricity due to congressional inaction on carbon pricing. It compares this approach to Canada's regulations, examines the potential for continental equivalency in emissions trading, and discusses the plan's impact on the Keystone XL Pipeline and international climate negotiations.

The study examines the use of the traditional mbaula charcoal stove in Lusaka, Zambia, finding that while users are emotionally attached to the stove, they face significant financial burdens and health issues due to its inefficiency and fumes. The research highlights that cost is the primary driver of energy choices, and that poor households pay more for fuel due to cash-flow constraints. It proposes three main pathways for transformation: introducing locally-made, more efficient charcoal stoves that resemble the mbaula, promoting low-tech solar water heating, and restructuring electricity tariffs to make electric cooking affordable for the poor.

The document asserts that the United States can save billions of dollars annually by implementing the National Climate Action Plan, noting that the costs of climate inaction—such as extreme weather damages—are already significant. It highlights four key areas for emissions reductions: power plants, energy efficiency, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and methane, arguing that the resulting public health and economic gains exceed regulatory costs. The text further claims that EPA regulations often cost less than projected and can stimulate industry investment by providing a clear regulatory framework.

The document details the environmental footprint of geothermal power, distinguishing between hydrothermal and enhanced geothermal systems. It highlights that while closed-loop systems minimize air emissions and water contamination, open-loop systems release gases like hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. The text notes that geothermal energy has significantly lower life-cycle global warming emissions than coal or natural gas, though it can be associated with land subsidence and increased earthquake frequency.